Oak  Street 
UNCLASSIFIED 


* 


DONATED  BY 

Dr.  C.  S.  CRANDALL 

Professor  of  Plant  Breeding 
Department  Of  Horticulture 
University  Of  Illinois 


OF  THE 

U N I VERS  ITY 
Of  ILLINOIS 


*2(0 

CLO?> 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/cultureofgrapewi00buch_0 


THE 


r 

Ui 


•S.CHASCALL 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE, 

AND 

WINE-MAKING; 


8 Y ROBERT  BUCHANAN. 


VTXTH  AN 


APPENDIX  CONTAINING  DIRECTIONS  FOR  THE 

CULTIVATION  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY, 
BY  N.  LONGWORTH. 


EIGHTH  EDITION. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

CRAWFORD  & CO.,  PUBLISHERS, 

47  N.  NINTH  STREET. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 


The  first  edition  of  one  thousand  copies  of  this  Treatise  was 
exhausted  in  a few  months,  and  a second  has  been  called  for. 
The  present  is  cheerfully  undertaken,  with  a view  to  add  such 
information  as  may  have  been  acquired  during  the  last  two  years, 
on  this  so  favorite  a subject  with  the  Author. 

Few  changes  in  Grape  culture  within  that  period,  however,  have 
been  found  necessary.  Suggestions  in  relation  to  spring  and 
summer  pruning  are  still  under  discussion,  and  some  improve- 
ments in  Wine-making  have  been  adopted. 

Early  last  year  a number  of  proprietors  of  vineyards,  impressed 
with  the  importance  of  united  efforts,  formed  themselves  into  the 
4‘  American  Wine  Growers’  Association,”  for  the  purpose  of  mu- 
tual instruction  by  a free  interchange  of  opinions,  at  periodical 
meetings. 

Thus  far  their  labors  have  been  eminently  successful:  “The 
Western  Horticultural  Review,”  edited  with  great  ability  by  Dr. 
Jno.  A.  Warder,  is  the  medium  through  which  their  proceedings 
are  given  to  the  public.  The  articles  on  the  subject  of  Grape 
culture  and  Wines,  with  the  monthly  Calendar  for  the  vineyard, 
so  carefully  prepared  by  the  Editor,  will  be  found  of  great  value 
to  the  vine-dresser. 

It  is  not  pretended  that  a brief  treatise  like  this,  can  do  justice 
to  a subject  of  such  importance,  but  it  is  hoped  that  it  may  serve 
as  a hand-book  to  new  beginners  in  the  business,  who  will,  of 
course,  in  the  progress  of  their  labors,  study  more  elaborate  works 
from  abler  pens. 

Compilations  are  like  labor-saving  machines,  suited  to  the  pres- 
ent go-ahead  age,  of  Steamboats,  Railroads,  and  Telegraphs, 
where  time  is  everything.  The  American  mind  can  not  wait  for 
detail,  therefore  the  extracts  from  the  writings  of  others  are  shorty 
and  the  original  matter  by  the  author  condensed. 

The  object  of  the  publication  at  first,  is  explained  in  the  preface 
to  the  former  edition. 

Cincinnati,  March  17th,  1852. 

Cvi) 


TO  THE 


CINCINNATI  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 


The  cultivation  of  the  Grape  in  vineyards,  for  making  wine,  is 
now  so  important  a branch  of  horticulture,  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio, 
and  especially  in  this  vicinity,  that  a brief  Treatise  on  the  subject 
may  perhaps  be  considered  useful. 

The  one  now  presented,  has  been  compiled  from  several  valuable 
articles  on  grape  culture,  published  within  the  last  ten  years,  in  horti- 
cultural periodicals,  by  able  writers  and  practical  men — members  of 
your  society;  Mr.  Longworth,  Dr.  Mosher,  Dr.  Flagg,  A.  H. 
Ernst,  J.  E.  Mottier,  C.  W.  Elliott,  Wm.  Resor,  John  Sayers, 
T.  Affleck,  and  others — the  greatest  number  being  from  the  pen  of 
Mr.  Longworth  ; also  from  Mr.  Schuman’s  pamphlet,  published  in 
1845,  and  a book  on  the  same  subject,  by  John  James  Dufour,  of 
Vevay,  la.,  1826  ; aided  by  the  observations  and  practical  experience 
of  the  writer. 

After  all  that  has  been  done,  and  written,  grape  culture  and  wine- 
making in  this  country,  is  as  yet  but  imperfectly  understood,  and  it 
is  only  by  experience  and  a free  interchange  of  opinions,  that  we  shall 
arrive  at  a better  knowledge  of  it  hereafter. 

Our  climate,  and  the  native  grapes  we  cultivate,  differ  so  much 
from  those  of  Europe,  that  the  intelligent  vine-dresser  from  the  old 
world,  finds  he  has  much  to  learn  in  the  new,  and  that  a wide  field 
is  presented  for  observation,  in  which  all  must  here  work  and  think  for 
themselves. 

At  the  time  Mr.  Dufour  wrote,  in  1826,  the  Cape  Grape  was  then 
the  only  kind  cultivated  in  the  Ohio  Valley,  for  wine.  About  that 
time  the  Catawba  was  brought  into  notice  as  a wine  grape,  by  Major 
Adlum,  at  Georgetown,  D.  C.,  and  by  Mr.  Longworth,  in  the 
West ; and  it  is  now  so  great  a favorite  as  to  be  almost  the  only 
variety  planted.  To  these  gentlemen,  as  public  benefactors,  the 
country  owes  a lasting  debt  of  gratitude  for  introducing  into  vine- 
yard culture,  this  noble  grape. 

( vii ) 


PREFACE. 


riii 


Many  improvements  in  grape  culture,  and  in  wine-making,  have 
been  made  since  Mr.  Dufour’s  day — even  since  the  publication  of 
Mr.  Schuman’s  pamphlet,  in  1845,  only  five  years  ago,  practical 
cultivators  have,  in  some  particulars,  adopted  other  modes  than 
those  then  recommended  ; and  it  is  confidently  expected,  that  within 
the  next  five  years,  still  greater  improvements  will  be  discovered. 
The  business  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  and  will  require  long  and  careful 
nursing  to  enable  it  to  reach  maturity. 

With  our  present  flattering  prospects  of  success  in  this  branch  of 
home  industry,  it  would  be  improper  to  close  these  prefatory  remarks 
without  a passing  tribute  to  the  merits  of  the  worthy  pioneers  in  the 
enterprise  — the  Swiss  settlers  of  Vevay,  and  the  German  vine- 
dressers of  our  own  county— who,  under  all  the  disadvantages  of  a 
climate,  soil,  and  vines  unknown  to  them — persevered  in  their  efforts 
with  patient  industry,  until  the  present  favorable  results  have  been 
produced.  But  to  Mr.  Longworth,  more  than  to  any  other  man  in 
the  West,  we  are  most  indebted  for  our  knowledge  in  grape  culture. 
Mr.  Longworth  has,  within  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  with 
unwearied  zeal  and  a liberal  expenditure  of  money,  in  numerous 
experiments  with  foreign  and  native  grapes,  succeeded  in  enabling 
himself  and  others,  to  present  to  the  public,  a “ Sparkling  Catawba,’' 
rivaling  the  best  French  Champagne,  and  a dry  wine  from  the  same, 
grape,  that  compares  favorably  with  the  celebrated  Hock  wine  of  the 
Rhine. 

Several  varieties  of  wine  have  been  produced  from  other  grapes 
than  the  Catawba,  but  with  the  exception  of  that  made  from  the 
Cape — which  is  a red  wine  resembling  Claret  — it  will  require  lime 
to  ascertain  their  value. 

From  the  Isabella,  Ohio,  Missouri,  Norton’s  Seedling,  Minor’s 
Seedling,  Lenoir,  and  Herbemont’s  Madeira,  wines  have  been  made 
of  more  or  less  oromise  — samples  of  which  maybe  found  at  the 
cellars  of  Mr.  Longworth,  and  some  others. 

The  views  here  given  are  those  of  many  of  our  most  intelligent 
vine-dressers.  A difference  of  opinion  may  exist  with  others  on 
some  points,  which  time  and  experience  alone  can  reconcile. 

R.  Buchanan. 


CONTENTS. 


THE  VINEYARD. 

PAGE 

Position  aud  Soil 9 

Preparing  the  ground 10 

Planting 10 

Directions  for  planting  Cuttings  in  a Nursery 12 

Treatment  of  the  Young  Vineyard 12 

Spring  Pruning 13 

Summer  ditto 15 

Culture 16 

Diseases,  Insects,  and  Frosts 17 

Varieties  of  Grapes  cultivated 23 

Durability  of  Vineyards,  etc 26 

To  restore  Premature  Decay  in  a Vineyard 27 

MAKING  WINE. 

The  Wine  Press  ...  27 

Gathering  and  Pressing  the  Grapes 28 

Fermentation 30 

Fining  Wines 65 

Character  of  the  Wine 33 

STATISTICS. 

Cost  of  Establishing  a Vineyard .' 44 

" “ Attending  a Vineyard 49 

“ " Making  the  Wine 50 

Probable  Product  per  acre 50 

Sale  of  the  Wine 55 

Wine  Cellars  and  Houses 58 

Number  of  Acres  in  Cultivation  in  this  Vicinity 59 

“ Bearing 60 

Average  Product  to  the  Acre 60 

Vineyard  Culture  in  the  United  States 60 

American  Grapes 63 


X 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


Analysis  of  Soils 65 

Vineyard  Culture  in  Australia 68 

Product  of  the  Vine  in  France 70 

Vineyard  Region  in  the  United  States 71 

APPENDIX. 

Falsification  of  Wines,  by  N.  Longworth 92 

Fermentation  of  Wines,  by  J.  Brace 77 

Fermenting  on  the  Skins — J.  Williamson  . . 112 

Foreign  Grapes,  by  Mr.  Downing 91 

Grape  Seedlings,  by  N.  Reihl 85 

Grapes  in  Canada  West 95 

Grape  Culture  near  Reading,  Pa 96 

Manufacture  of  Wine,  and  Rot  in  Grapes,  by  N.  Longworth 97 

Manufacture  of  Native  Wine 108 

Native  Wine,  by  Dr.  Mosher 89 

Native  Grapes,  by  N.  Longworth 104 

Racking  Wines,  by  L.  Rehfuss 75 

Rot  in  Grapes,  etc.,  by  N.  Longworth 100 

Soil  for  a Vineyard,  by  J.  Williamson 84 

Spring  and  Summer  Pruning,  by  Dr.  Mosher 80 

Spring  Pruning — Spur  system,  by  G.  Sleath 117 

Statistics  of  Vineyards 73 

Stemming  and  Mashing  Grapes,  by  J.  A.  Corneau Ill 

Temperance  and  the  Vine  93 

To  the  Members  of  the  Wine  Association,  by  L.  Rehfuss 88 

Vineyards  about  Cincinnati,  by  N.  Longworth 113 

“ in  Clarke  County,  Indiana,  by  T.  W.  Gibson 116 


STRAWBERRY. 

Preface 119 

Culture,  etc.,  by  N.  Longworth 121 

“ “ " “ i23 

Report  of  Committee  to  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society 131 

« “ “ “ “ 135 

Experiment,  etc.,  by  G.  W.  Huntsman 139 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


THE  VINEYARD. 

In  establishing  a Vineyard,  it  is  a matter  of  much  impor- 
tance to  select  the  right 

POSITION  AND  SOIL. 

A hill  side  with  a southern  aspect  is  preferred,  although  an 
eastern  or  western  exposure  is  nearly  as  good.  Some  have 
recommended  the  north,  on  account  of  safety  from  late  spring 
frosts,  but  it  will  scarcely  afford  sun  enough  to  ripen  the 
grapes  in  cold,  wet  seasons  (if  the  declivity  is  steep),  and 
may  perhaps  be  more  subject  to  “ the  rot.”  Any  undulating 
surface,  if  dry,  is  preferable  to  a level  one. 

The  soil  best  suited  for  a vineyard,  is  a dry  calcareous 
loam — with  a porous  subsoil  — not  retentive  of  moisture;  if 
mixed  with  some  gravel  or  small  stones,  so  much  the  better. 
Some  prefer  a sandy  soil  with  a gravelly  substratum ; as  in 
this  the  grapes  are  less  subject  to  rot ; the  juice  however  is 
not  so  rich, — lacking  in  saccharine  matter, — and  in  dry  sea- 
sons the  vines  will  suffer  from  the  drought,  shedding  their 
leaves  prematurely,  and  preventing  the  grapes  from  ripening 
well.  In  warm,  sandy  soils,  the  fruit-buds  on  the  vines,  if 
swelled  prematurely  in  autumn,  are  sometimes  killed  by  the 
frosts  of  a severe  winter. 

Any  soil  underlaid  by  a stiff  wet  clay,  is  to  be  avoided,  as 
also  wet  or  spongy  lands.  No  trees  should  be  allowed  to 
grow  within  one  hundred  feet  of  the  vineyard. 


10 


CULTURE  OJT  THE  GRAPE. 


For  a further  illustration  of  this  subject  see  Mr.  William- 
son’s letter,  in  the  Appendix. 

PREPARING  THE  GROUND. 

In  autumn  or  early  winter,  dig  or  trench  the  ground  all 
over,  2 to  2-J  feet  deep,  with  the  spade — this  is  far  better 
than  plowing — turn  the  top  soil  under ; the  surface  will  be 
mellowed  by  the  frosts  of  winter. 

Wet  spots  in  the  vineyard  may  be  drained  by  small  stone 
culverts,  or  by  what  is  termed  a French  drain,  a ditch,  with 
some  loose  stones  thrown  into  it  edgewise,  covered  with  flat 
ones,  and  filled  up  with  the  earth  again.  Surface  draining 
may  be  obtained  by  concave  sodded  avenues  of  10  feet  wide, 
and  intersecting  each  other  at  100  or  120  feet,  thus  throwing 
the  vineyard  into  squares  of  that  size.  This  will  do  for  gen- 
tle declivities ; but  steep  ones  must  be  terraced,  or  benched 
with  sod  or  stone,  which  is  more  expensive.  These  benches 
should  be  as  broad  as  they  can  be  made  conveniently,  and 
with  a slight  inclination  to  the  hill,  that  they  may  be  drained 
by  stone  or  wooden  gutters,  running  into  the  main  trunks,  to 
carry  off  the  water  without  washing  away  the  soil.  This  is 
important,  and  requires  good  judgment  and  skill. 

PLANTING. 

Much  diversity  of  opinion  exists,  as  to  the  proper  distance 
of  planting  the  vines  apart  in  the  rows.  Our  native  varieties, 
with  their  long  joints,  large  foliage,  and  luxuriant  growth, 
certainly  require  more  room  to  grow  than  the  short  jointed 
vines  of  the  Rhine.  Hence  it  is  supposed,  that  our  German 
vine-dressers  have  sometimes  erred,  in  planting  too  close  in 
this  country, — 3|  by  4 ; 4 by  4 ; 4 by  4J,  &c.  For  steep 
hill  sides,  3^-  by  4±,  or  3 by  5 may  answer,  but  for  gentle 
slopes  SJ  by  6 is  close  enough,  and  for  level  land,  4 by  7. 
This  will  admit  sun  and  air  to  mature  the  fruit,  and  leave  a 
liberal  space  for  the  roots  to  grow. 


PLANTING. 


1 


Lay  off  the  vineyard  carefully  with  a line,  and  put  down  a 
stick  some  15  inches  long,  where  each  vine  is  to  grow.  Dig 
a hole  about  a foot  deep,  and  plant  two  cuttings  to  each  stick, 
in  a slanting  position,  separated  6 or  8 inches  at  the  bottom, 
and  1 inch  at  the  top  of  the  hole  ; throw  in  a shovel  full  of 
rich  vegetable  mould,  from  the  woods,  to  make  the  roots 
strike  freely  ; let  the  top  eye  of  the  cuttings  be  even  with  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  and  cover  with  half  an  inch  of 
light  mould,  if  the  weather  is  dry.  Leave  the  hole  at 
the  lower  part  about  two-thirds  full,  until  midsummer ; then 
fill  up. 

If  both  the  cuttings  grow,  take  up  one  of  them  the  follow- 
ing spring,  or  cut  it  off  under  ground,  as  but  one  vine  should 
be  left  to  each  stake. 

To  prepare  the  cuttings  for  planting,  bury  them  in  the  earth 
when  pruned  from  the  vines,  and  by  the  latter  end  of  March, 
or  early  in  April,  which  is  the  right  time  for  planting,  the 
buds  will  be  so  swelled,  as  to  make  them  strike  root  with 
great  certainty. 

Each  cutting  should  contain  at  least  four  joints,  and  be 
taken  from  wood  well  ripened ; if  a small  part  of  the  old  wood 
is  left  on  the  lower  end,  so  much  the  better  ; cut  them  off 
close  below  the  lower  joint,  and  about  an  inch  above  the 
upper.  Set  out  some  extra  cuttings  in  a nursery  to  replace 
failures  in  the  vineyard. 

Some  good  vine-dressers  have  recommended  planting  with 
roots  one  or  two  years  old,  but  the  experience  of  others  is  in 
favor  of  planting  at  once  with  cuttings  in  the  vineyard  ; the 
vine  being  never  disturbed  by  removal  makes  the  more  thrifty 
and  permanent  plant. 

Of  course  the  planting  should  only  be  made  when  the 
ground  is  warm  and  dry,  or  mellow. 

Persons  residing  at  a distance  from  vineyards,  had  better 
procure  roots  one  year  old,  as  the  cuttings  are  apt  to  suffer 
from  transportation. 


12 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PLANTING  CUTTINGS  IN  A NURSERY. 

When  pruned  from  the  vines,  the  cuttings  should  be  tied 
in  bundles  of  100  or  200,  and  placed  in  a cool  cellar,  until 
the  ground  is  prepared  for  planting. 

Dig  a trench,  in  spaded  ground,  about  a foot  deep,  slanting 
to  the  surface,  the  length  of  the  cuttings.  Place  the  cuttings 
5 or  6 inches  apart,  the  top  eye  just  above  ground.  Cover 
the  lower  joints  with  good  rich  mould,  and  fill  up  with  the 
earth  thrown  from  the  trench.  Keep  them  clear  of  weeds  in 
the  summer,  and  in  dry  weather  water  occasionally. 

TREATMENT  OF  THE  YOUNG  VINEYARD. 

The  first  year,  keep  the  ground  clean  and  free  from  weeds, 
with  the  hoe  ; many  use  the  plow,  as  being  more  expe- 
ditious and  economical,  but  the  more  careful  vine-dressers 
who  can  afford  it,  never  cultivate  with  the  plow,  using  only 
the  two-pronged  German  hoe,  made  especially  for  the 
purpose. 

The  earth  should  be  stirred  around  the  young  vines,  two 
or  three  times  during  the  season,  to  promote  their  growth  ; 
superfluous  shoots  must  be  pulled  off,  leaving  but  one  or  two 
to  grow,  at  first,  and  but  one  eventually. 

In  the  spring,  cut  the  young  vine  down  to  a single  eye,  or 
bud  ; at  first,  if  two  are  left  for  greater  safety,  take  off  one, 
afterward  ; drive  a stake  six  or  seven  feet  long  firmly  to  each 
plant.  Locust  or  cedar  is  preferred,  but  oak  or  black  walnut, 
charred  at  the  end,  driven  into  the  earth,  or  coated  with  coal 
tar,  will,  it  is  said,  last  nearly  as  long.  Keep  the  young  vine 
tied  neatly  to  the  stake  with  rye  or  wheat  straw — pick  off  all 
suckers,  and  let  but  one  stalk  or  cane  grow.  The  vineyard 
must  be  kept  clean  of  weeds,  and  the  young  vines  hoed  as 
before. 

The  second  spring  after  planting,  cut  down  to  two  or  three 
eyes,  or  joints,  and  the  third  year  to  four  or  five  ; pinching 
off  laterals,  tieing  up,  and  hoeing  the  vines  as  recommended 


SPRING  PRUNING. 


13 


above.  Replant  from  the  nursery,  where  the  cuttings  have 
failed  to  strike  root  in  the  vineyard. 

The  third  year , the  vines  will  produce  a few  grapes,  some- 
times enough  to  pay  the  expenses  of  attending  them.  Train 
two  canes  to  the  stake  this  year,  take  off  laterals,  and  keep 
well  hoed. 

The  vineyard  having  now  commenced  to  bear,  may  be 
considered  as  fairly  established ; and  for  the  fourth  and  suc- 
cessive years,  the  following  treatment  is  generally  adopted. 

SPRING  PRUNING. 

This  is  usually  done  from  the  middle  of  February  to  the 
first  week  in  March.  Some  prune  in  January,  and  Mr.  Schu- 
man  has  recommended  November  and  December,  as  the 
proper  time.  No  serious  injury  to  the  vines,  by  winter  prun- 
ing, has  yet  been  discovered.  The  writer  pruned  many  of 
his  vines  in  November  and  December,  last  year,  and  they 
escaped  unscathed  through  the  hardest  winter  known  in  this 
climate  for  many  years. 

Pruning,  the  fourth  year,  requires  good  judgment,  as  the 
standard  stem,  or  stalk,  has  to  be  established. 

Select  the  best  shoot  or  cane  of  last  year,  and  cut  it  down 
to  six  or  eight  joints,  and  fasten  it  to  the  adjoining  stake  in  a 
horizontal  position,  or  bend  it  over  in  the  form  of  a hoop  or 
bow,  and  tie  it  to  its  own  stake.  The  ties  should  be  of  wil- 
low. This  is  the  bearing  wood.  The  other  cane,  cut  down 
to  a spur  of  two  or  three  eyes,  to  make  bearing  wood  for 
the  next  season. 

Mr.  Schuman  remarks  in  his  treatise,  “ There  are  various 
methods  of  training  adopted.  Some  tie  the  shoot  up  to  the 
stake  with  two  or  three  ties  at  proportionate  distances. 

“ The  greater  part  of  the  German  vine-planters  make  cir- 
cular bows  with  three  ties,  and  another  mode  is  to  make  half- 
circle bows.  I recommend  the  latter  as  the  best  and  proceed 
to  describe  it. 


4 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


“ Give  the  shoot  the  first  tie  on  the  stake  nine  inches 
from  the  ground,  and  the  second,  nine  inches  above  it ; 
then  bow  it  over  to  the  neighboring  stake  in  a horizontal 
position,  and  give  it  the  third  tie  to  that  stake,  at  the  top  of 
the  vine.” 

In  the  succeeding,  and  all  subsequent  years,  cut  away  the 
old  bearing  wood,  and  form  the  new  bow,  or  arch,  from  the 
best  branch  of  the  new  wood  of  the  last  year,  leaving  a spur 
as  before,  to  produce  bearing  wood  for  the  coming  year,  thus 
keeping  the  old  stalk  of  the  vine  down  to  within  eighteen  to 
twenty-four  inches  from  the  ground.  The  vine  is  then  always 
within  reach,  and  control. 

The  experience  of  the  writer  is  in  favor  of  the  bow  system ; 
bending  the  top  of  the  branch  in  a circular  form,  to  within 
three  or  four  inches  of  its  stake,  and  fastening  it  with  a wil- 
low tie,  or  twig,  to  the  stake, — having  made  two  ties  pre- 
viously, one  at  the  lower  part,  the  other  at  the  middle  of  the 
bow.  From  this  bow  the  crop  of  grapes  is  to  be  produced, 
and  often  a bearing  cane  for  the  next  year. 

The  spur  will  bear  a few  bunches  of  grapes,  but  the 
bearing  wood,  for  the  ensuing  year,  is  generally  trained 
from  it. 

Mr.  Sleath  has  adopted  a new  method  of  training,  which 
will  be  found  in  the  Appendix. 

The  best  time  for  tying  the  vines  to  the  stake  is  when  the 
sap  begins  to  swell  the  buds  and  make  them  look  white — 
from  the  middle  of  March  to  the  first  week  in  April.  Then  in 
damp  or  wet  weather,  the  bow  can  be  formed  by  a slight  twist 
of  the  branch,  and  fastened  to  the  stake  without  breaking. 
This  requires  to  be  done  carefully. 

See  the  Appendix  for  an  excellent  article  on  spring  and  sum- 
mer pruning  from  Dr.  S.  Mosher,  President  of  the  Cincinnati 
Horticultural  Society. 

Should  a vine  be  lost  after  the  vineyard  is  in  bearing,  it 
can  be  replaced  by  a layer  from  the  adjoining  vine,  which 


SUMMER  PRUNING. 


15 


is  a much  better  mode  than  planting  a young  vine.  The 
layers  may  be  put  down  late  in  summer,  but  spring  is 
preferred. 

Cultivate  the  yellow,  and  the  osier  willow,  to  make  ties  for 
the  spring  pruning.  They  will  grow  in  any  wet  place. 

SUMMER  PRUNING. 

Consists  in  removing  suckers,  and  pinching  off  all  lateral 
shoots,  leaving  but  two  stalks  or  canes  to  be  trained  for  bearing 
wood  the  ensuing  year,  and  pinching  off  the  ends  of  the 
bearing  branches,  about  the  time  of  blossoming,  some  two  or 
three  joints  beyond,  or  above  the  last  blossom  bunch  ; pull 
no  leaves  off  the  bearing  branches,  and  but  very  few  from  any 
other.  As  the  vines  grow,  tie  them  neatly  to  the  stakes,  with 
rye  straw  (some  use  grass),  and  when  they  reach  the  top, 
train  them  from  one  stake  to  the  other,  until  the  fruit  has 
nearly  matured ; the  green  ends  may  then  be  broken  off.  If 
this  is  done  too  early,  there  is  danger  of  forcing  out  the  fruit- 
bearing buds  for  the  next  year,  and  of  injuring  the  grapes  in 
ripening. 

Some  of  our  cultivators  are  averse  to  removing  any  lateral 
branches  rom  the  fruit-bearing  wood,  — merely  pinching  off 
their  ends.  Others  adopt  close  pruning,  in  summer,  and  even 
taking  off  some  of  the  leaves  of  the  bearing  branches.  Both 
these  extremes  are  wrong.  The  experience  of  the  writer  is  in 
favor  of  removing  such  lateral  shoots  as  appear  unnecessary  to 
the  growth  or  ripening  of  the  fruit — to  pinch  off  the  ends  of  the 
bearing  branches  two,  three,  or  four  joints  beyond  the  upper 
bunch  of  grapes — according  to  the  number  it  bears — to  take 
off  all  laterals  from  the  bearing  wood  intended  for  the  ensu- 
ing year ; and  not  to  break  off  the  ends  of  these  branches  at 
all  (as  has  heretofore  been  done  about  the  time  the  grapes 
began  to  color).  The  leaves  are  the  lungs  of  the  plant,  and 
while  it  is  necessary  to  remove  suckers  and  laterals,  to  throw 
strength  into  the  fruit  and  the  bearing  branches  for  next  year , 


18 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


a liberal  supply  of  leaves  should  be  left  for  the  maturity  oi 
both. 

1.  2.  3.  4 


To  show  spring  and  summer  pruning,  the  above  figures  are  inserted. 


Fig.  1. 

The  vine  second  year 

before  pruning. 

Fig.  2. 

“ “ third 

if  a 

Fig.  3. 

“ “ fourth  “ 

pruned. 

Fig.  4. 

“ “ fourth  “ 

summer  training. 

CULTURE. 

The  vineyard  must  be  kept  perfectly  clean  from  weeds  and 
grass,  and  should  be  hoed  twice  during  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer. From  the  middle  of  April  to  the  first  week  in  May,  is 
recommended  as  the  best  time  for  spring  hoeing,  and  August 
for  summer. 

The  cultivator  or  the  plow  is  less  expensive,  but  the  vines 
and  roots  are  in  danger  of  being  injured  by  that  mode  of  cul- 
ture ; therefore  the  hoe  is  preferred  by  those  who  can  afford 
it.  It  has  been  recommended  by  some  writers,  to  cut  off 
the  roots  of  the  vines  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
for  four  or  five  inches  under,  that  the  roots,  when  the 
vines  are  young,  may  be  well  established  at  a proper  depth 
below. 

By  others,  this  plan  is  thought  to  be  injurious.  The 


DISEASES,  INSECTS,  AND  FROSTS, 


17 


majority,  however,  prefer  cutting  off  the  surface  roots  for  the 
first  three  or  four  years. 

About  every  third  year,  put  in  manure,  by  opening  a trench 
the  width  of  a spade,  and  four  or  five  inches  deep.  Above 
and  near  each  row,  throw  in  two  or  three  inches  of  well- 
rotted  manure,  and  cover  up  with  the  earth. 

Another  plan  adopted,  is  to  run  a furrow  with  the  plow, 
put  in  manure,  and  cover  over,  either  with  the  plow  or  hoe. 

Others,  again,  scatter  manure  over  the  surface,  and  dig 
it  in. 

An  intelligent  cultivator,  J.  A.  Corneau,  remarks  : “ High 
manuring  is  generally  admitted  to  be  injurious  to  the  vinous 
quality  of  the  Grape ; or,  in  other  words,  it  accelerates  a 
larger  growth  of  wood,  and  a more  attractive  looking  fruit, 
while  the  more  essential  qualities  of  the  grape  for  Wine- 
making, are  very  much  deteriorated.  No  substance  should 
ever  be  used  which  has  a tendency  to  ferment,  or  which,  in 
undergoing  a chemical  change  in  the  soil,  would  form  an  acid 
or  a salt  of  a highly  stimulating  nature.  Vegetable  manures, 
bones,  &c.,  may  be  used  to  advantage.”  Well  rotted  sta- 
ble yard  manure  has  been  used  moderately  by  the  writer,  with 
good  effects  to  the  plants  and  the  fruit,  and  without  any  per- 
ceptive injury  to  the  “vinous  quality  of  the  grape.” 

Dr.  L.  Rehfuss,  President  of  the  “Wine  Growers’  Asso- 
ciation,” strongly  recommends  a light  dressing  of  wood 
ashes  to  be  dug  in  with  the  spring  hoeing,  to  supply  to  the 
earth  the  alkalies  taken  up  by  the  Grape,  and  to  neutralize 
acidity  in  the  soil,  and  consequently  in  the  Wine. 

diseases,  insects,  and  frosts. 

The  “ rot,”  as  it  is  termed,  is  the  great  evil,  especially  in 
cultivating  the  Catawba. 

This  takes  place  usually  in  the  latter  end  of  June  or  early 
in  July,  Dr.  Warder  says,  “about  the  period  of  stoning,” 
r “hardening  of  the  seed,”  after  continued  heavy  rains,  and 


18 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


hot  sweltering  suns.  It  strikes,  something  like  the  rust  in 
wheat,  suddenly,  and  with  the  same  disastrous  effect  to  the 
crop.  Various  modes  of  prevention  have  been  recommended, 
but  none  yet  tried  have  proved  effectual. 

The  cause  is  supposed  to  be  an  excess  of  water  about  the 
roots  of  the  vine,  in  any  clay  subsoil  retentive  of  moisture; 
sandy  soils  with  a gravelly  substratum,  are  generally  exempt 
from  this  disease. 

The  opinions  of  Mr.  Elliott,  Mr.  Longworth,  and  the 
Fruit  Committee  of  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society,  on 
this  subject,  are  quoted. 

Mr.  Elliott,  in  the  Horticulturist,  Vol.  2,  p.  314,  says: 
“The  rot  for  the  past  three  years  has  followed  excessive  rains 
in  July  and  August.  Dr.  Flagg,  two  years  since,  found  a 
small  part  of  a vineyard  where  the  rot  was  very  slight ; (an 
experiment  made  by  the  writer  of  this  Treatise),  this  had  not 
been  worked  after  the  spring,  and  the  ground  was  in  such  a 
state,  that  most  of  the  rains  passed  off  on  the  surface.  Vines 
planted  in  rows  eight  feet  apart,  in  one  instance,  were  found 
not  to  be  affected  with  rot,  but  very  slightly.  . . . The 

subject  has  been  but  little  investigated,  and  therefore  all  can 
speculate.” 

In  the  same  article,  page  319,  Mr.  Longworth  says : “It 
is  of  late  years  only,  that  the  rot  has  been  so  destructive 
among  our  grapes ; one  thing  is  certain,  if  we  had  little  or  no 
rain  after  the  grapes  are  fairly  forward,  we  should  see  but 
little  of  the  rot ; certain  it  is,  it  is  continued  rains,  followed  by 
a hot  sun,  that  causes  us  to  look  out  for  the  appearance  of 
the  rot.” 

In  the  able  report  of  Dr.  Mosher,  Mr.  Ernst,  and  Mr. 
Kidd,  the  Fruit  Committee  of  the  Society  for  1848,  it  is  re- 
marked : “ Some  vineyards  were  injured  by  the  wet  weather 
in  July,  causing  the  grapes  to  rot  and  fall  off : this,  however, 
seems  to  have  been  confined  to  situations  where  the  air  had 
not  a free  circulation,  allowing  fogs  and  vapors  to  remain  too 


DISEASES,  INSECTS,  AND  FROSTS. 


19 


long  upon  the  vines  in  hot  weather,  as  well  as  to  a tenacious, 
clayey  soil ; on  dry  and  more  airy  situations,  and  where  the 
ground  was  thoroughly  drained,  the  crop  has  been  fine  and 
fair.” 

H.  W.  S.  Cleveland,  of  Burlington,  N.  J.,  who  has  a 
vineyard  of  two  to  three  acres,  and  who,  Mr.  Downing  says, 
is  one  of  the  most  reliable  horticulturists  in  the  State,  recom- 
mends covering  the  whole  surface  of  the  vineyard  with 
shavings,  leaves,  or  coarse  grass,  to  prevent  the  ravages  of 
insects,  and  diseases  of  the  fruit — see  Horticulturist,  Vol.  3, 
p.  113.  — In  the  same  Vol.,  p.  121:  “A  Jerseyman,”  in 
summer  pruning,  put  the  leaves  and  young  stems  in  a trench 
at  the  root  of  the  vines  — sprinkled  gypsum  on  them,  and 
covered  over  with  earth.  This  was  done  at  the  suggestion 
of  Mr.  Downing,  who  strongly  recommends  it  to  vine-dress- 
ers on  the  Ohio,  with  a request  that  upon  trial  they  “ report 
progress.” 

And  at  page  161,  of  the  same  Vol.,  “B.,”  “of  Chester 
Co.,  Pa.,”  recommends  “ special  manures,”  as  a certain  spe- 
cific— having  tried  with  success,  a mixture  of  guano,  gypsum, 
and  wood  ashes. 

Mr.  Downing  says  to  “J.  D.  Legare,  Aiken,  S.  C.,”  in 
the  same  Vol.,  p.  255 : “ We  note  your  experiment  with  ashes 
to  prevent  rot,  but  you  must  not  decide  against  it  with  one 
year’s  trial.  It  has  been  found  effectual  here  at  the  north, 
when  used  along  with  gypsum.” 

Two  years  ago,  the  writer  of  this  Treatise  tried  ashes  on  a 
small  scale,  but  without  Gypsum ; a trench  was  dug  above 
two  rows,  the  width  of  a spade,  some  four  inches  deep,  and 
two  or  three  inches  of  leached  ashes  put  in  and  covered  over 
with  earth.  No  beneficial  effect  was  perceived.  The  two 
rows  were  slightly  affected  by  the  rot,  as  were  those 
adjoining. 

Hoeing  in  autumn,  and  not  stirring  the  ground  at  all  in 
the  spring  and  summer,  but  keeping  the  weeds  cut  down,  and 


20 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


the  surface  smooth,  that  the  water  may  not  sink,  but  pass  off 
rapidly,  has  also  been  spoken  of  as  a probable  remedy 
against  rot. 

Some  persons  even  recommend  letting  the  weeds  grow  : to 
say  the  least  of  it,  this  would  be  slovenly  culture. 

With  a view  to  test  the  advantages  of  wide  planting,  and 
high  training,  in  preventing  the  rot,  Mr.  Werk  has  planted 
on  his  farm,  near  Cheviot,  eleven  acres  in  the  Catawba  grape, 
twenty  feet  apart  in  the  rows  each  way,  and  the  vines  are 
trained  to  locust  stakes  twelve  feet  high.  Last  year  they 
produced  fruit  for  the  first  time,  and  were  entirely  free  from 
rot.  But  here  it  must  be  remarked,  that  the  first  crop , from 
young  vines,  is  generally  but  little  affected  by  that  disease. 
Mr.  Werk  also  cultivated  the  ground  between  the  rows,  for 
other  purposes. 

In  1850  there  was  scarcely  any  rot,  and  crops  averaged  about 
four  hundred  gallons  to  the  acre.  In  1851  the  frost  on  the 
second  of  May  destroyed  two-thirds  of  the  grape-buds,  and 
the  crop  of  grapes,  a very  small  one,  was  almost  entirely 
clear  of  rot.  The  past  two  seasons  were  drier  than  the  four 
or  five  preceding  them. 

That  the  rot,  or  a similar  disease  of  the  grape,  existed  in 
the  earlier  ages,  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  passage 
in  Malachi,  c.  iii,  v.  11 — “Neither  shall  the  vine  cast  her 
fruit,  before  the  time,  in  the  field.,, 

The  reader  is  referred  to  two  articles  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
Longworth,  in  the  Appendix,  for  his  views  on  this  subject. 
Oct.  21,  1848,  and  Feb.  18th,  1850. 

The  “mildew”  comes  earlier  in  the  season,  when  the 
grapes  are  about  one-fourth  grown,  blighting  occasionally  a 
few  bunches,  and  sometimes  only  the  lower  end.  It  is 
neither  common  nor  destructive.  The  Isabella  is  much  more 
subject  to  mildew  than  the  Catawba,  and  the  Cape  is  seldom 
affected  by  this  disease. 

The  “speck,”  by  some  persons  mistaken  for  the  rot,  and 


DISEASES,  INSECTS,  AND  FROSTS. 


21 


by  others  called  the  bitter  rot,  is  a large  circular  spot  on  the 
side  of  the  grape,  looking  as  if  caused  by  the  sting  of  an 
insect,  and  extending  to  the  seed  on  one  side  of  the  berry, 
while  the  other  is  uninjured  ; but  owing  to  this  wound,  or 
speck,  the  juice  will  be  bitter.  This  has  been  attributed  to 
the  action  of  the  sun  on  the  fruit  when  covered  with  rain  or 
dew-drops. 

The  vine  is  so  remarkably  healthy,  and  of  such  luxuriant 
growth  in  almost  any  proper  soil,  that  diseases  at  the  root  are 
almost  unknown  here.  Mr.  Schuman  states  that  a white 
worm  resembling  the  peach-tree  worm,  is  sometimes  found 
eating  off  the  young  roots  of  the  vine,  and  Mr.  Mottier  has 
also  found  and  destroyed  it  — but  it  is  rarely  met  with  in 
vineyards. 

The  Insects  found  most  annoying,  are  a green  worm  that 
feeds  on  the  vines  just  as  the  fruit-buds  appear,  and  before 
they  blossom,  eating  off  the  tender  bunches,  and  doing  great 
mischief  if  not  promptly  destroyed.  The  Canker , or  Measur- 
ing Worm  (of  which  the  above  may  be  a variety)  is  some- 
times found  on  the  leaves  and  young  shoots.  The  Curculio , 
so  destructive  to  the  plum,  has  occasionally  been  found  on 
the  grapes  ; they  can  be  readily  shaken  down  on  a sheet,  by 
a sudden  blow  on  the  stake,  and  destroyed.  If  ever  per- 
mitted to  get  domesticated  in  a vineyard,  this  insect  would  be 
immensely  destructive. 

The  Rose-hug,  Dr.  Shaler  says,  has  been  observed  in 
some  vineyards  in  Kentucky,  but  it  is  rarely  met  with 
here. 

For  the  last  two  years,  an  insect  resembling  the  rose-bug, 
but  smaller,  and  of  the  same  family  (melolontha),  has  been 
discovered  in  several  vineyards  in  this  vicinity,  eating  off  the 
upper  surface  of  the  leaf,  and  causing  the  veinous  fibers  left 
to  look  like  a sieve.  The  writer  destroyed  those  in  his  vine- 
yard, last  year,  by  shaking  them  off  the  vines  into  buckets 
partly  filled  with  strong  lime-water.  This  was  accomplished 


£2 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


in  a week,  killing  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  thousand 
from  six  acres,  at  an  expense  of  twenty-seven  dollars. 

Next  year  they  will  scarcely  be  so  numerous  in  this  vine- 
yard. 

A large  brown  beetle,  or  bug,  will  frequently  sting  the  young 
tender  branches  of  the  vine  in  summer,  making  a wound  that 
subjects  the  branch  to  be  broken  off  by  strong  winds.  They 
can  be  watched  and  picked  off,  late  in  the  evening  or  early  in 
the  morning.  All  horticulturists  are  familiar  with  the  spring 
and  early  fall  caterpillar,  and  of  course,  would  not  permit 
either  to  get  a foothold  in  the  vineyard. 

Mr.  N.  W.  Thatcher,  of  Chillicothe,  sent  last  summer  to 
the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society,  specimens  of  a small 
variety  of  curculio,  which  he  had  found  to  injure  his  grapes, 
like  the  plum,  by  depositing  ova. 

Frost.  Late  spring  frosts  have  some  years,  but  not  often, 
been  highly  injurious,  especially  to  vineyards  near  small 
streams  of  water,  damp  woods,  or  in  cold  situations.  The 
most  severe  within  the  memory  of  the  writer,  occurred  on  the 
nights  of  the  26th  of  April,  1834;  9th  May,  1838;  7th  May, 
1845,  and  the  15th  April,  1849. 

In  the  three  first  named  years,  the  buds  had  so  far  put  out, 
that  their  loss  was  not  replaced  by  the  pushing  out,  subse- 
quently, of  the  latent  or  twin  bud,  which  partially  overcame 
the  loss  of  the  first,  in  the  latter  year,  1849.  These  frosts, 
therefore,  nearly  destroyed  the  crop,  in  situations  near 
moisture. 

A more  destructive  frost  than  either  of  the  above,  occurred 
on  the  morning  of  the  second  of  May,  1851 — destroying  all 
the  fruit,  and  about  two-thirds  of  the  grape-buds.  This  frost 
gave  us  one  test,  and  proved  conclusively,  that  the  grape  is 
the  hardiest  of  all  our  fruits,  not  even  excepting  the  apple. 

In  warm  sandy  lands,  with  a gravelly  substratum,  the  buds 
are  in  some  years  pushed  forward  prematurely  by  warm 
autumns,  so  as  to  be  killed  by  severe  frosts  in  winter. 


VARIETIES  OF  GRAPES  AND  WINES. 


ys 


Out  of  eighty-three  vineyards  in  this  county  in  1 845,  Dr. 
Flagg  reported  twenty-one  much  injured  by  the  frost. 

Hailstorms  have  in  some  years  injured  our  grape  crop,  but 
they  are  generally  confined  to  a small  strip  of  country,  and 
have  seldom  extended  to  more  than  eight  or  ten  vineyards 
in  this  county  in  any  one  year.  The  leaves  of  the  vine  are  a 
partial  protection  to  the  fruit. 

VARIETIES  OF  GRAPES  CULTIVATED,  AND  WINE  MADE  FROM 
THEM. 

1.  The  Catawba  is  our  great  wine  grape,  and  stands  with- 
out a rival.  Mr.  Longworth  has  offered  five  hundred  dollars 
reward  for  a better  native  variety,  and  several  new  seedlings 
have  been  produced,  but  its  equal  has  not  yet  been  found.  It 
is  subject  to  rot. 

Wine;  varying  from  a clear  water  color  to  straw  color  and 
pink  ; of  a fine  fruity  aroma  ; makes  an  excellent  champagne, 
and  a good  dry  hock.  Requires  no  sugar  in  fermentation,  if 
the  grapes  are  well  ripened.  In  the  Horticulturist,  Vol.  2,  p. 
317,  Mr.  Longworth  states  : — “ Maj.  Adlum  had  a proper 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  Catawba  grape.  In  a letter 
to  me,  he  remarked  : — ‘ In  bringing  this  grape  into  public 
notice,  I have  rendered  my  country  a greater  service  than  I 
would  have  done,  had  I paid  off  the  National  debt.’  I con- 
cur in  his  opinion.” 

2.  Cape  ; this  old  favorite  of  former  days,  is  now  almost 
displaced  by  the  Catawba.  It  is  still  cultivated  in  some  vine- 
yards, but  not  extensively — a very  hardy  variety  and  but 
little  affected  by  the  rot. 

Makes  a good  wine , resembling  claret — requires  some  sugar 
to  be  added  in  fermentation. 

3.  Isabella,  a variety  much  esteemed  in  some  of  the 
Eastern  States,  particularly  about  the  city  of  New  York — 
where  it  ripens  better  than  here.  It  is  almost  abandoned  as 
a wine  grape,  and  generally  cultivated  only  for  table  use ; a 

3 


24 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


aardy  variety,  subject  less  to  rot  than  to  mildew— -in  some 
seasons  ripens  badly. 

Wine  sometimes  good,  and  resembling  a light  Madeira — 
requires  a good  deal  of  sugar  in  the  fermentation ; say 
eighteen  to  twenty-four  ounces  to  the  gallon  of  juice,  or 
“ must.” 

4.  Bland’s  Madeira  ; a delicious  table  grape,  resembling 
the  Catawba  in  its  appearance.  Too  tender  for  vineyard  cul- 
ture in  this  climate.  On  arbors,  in  sheltered  situations,  it 
bears  well. 

5.  Ohio,  or  Cigar  Box,  is  a fine  table  grape,  bunches  very 
large  and  shouldered,  berries  small,  black,  sweet,  and  without 
pulp ; does  well  on  arbors  or  trellises,  but  will  scarcely  an- 
swer for  the  vineyard  culture — requires  long  pruning. 

Wine  ; dark  red,  inferior  in  flavor  when  new,  but  improves 
by  age. 

6.  Lenoir  ; a black  grape,  bunches  large  and  compact, 
sometimes  shouldered,  without  pulp,  berries  small,  black, 
sweet  and  palatable.  Subject,  in  clay  soils,  to  mildew  and  rot. 

7.  Missouri  ; fruit  black,  bunches  loose  and  of  medium 
size,  berries  without  pulp,  sweet  and  agreeable.  Sometimes 
cultivated  in  vineyards  ; a good  variety  for  wine. 

Wine;  “ makes  an  excellent  wine,  somewhat  resembling 
Madeira.” 

8.  Norton’s  Seedling  ; bunches  of  medium  size,  compact, 
shouldered,  berries  small,  purple,  sweet,  but  with  a pulp. 

Wine;  inferior. 

9.  Herbemont’s  Madeira  ; a good  wine,  and  a pleasant 
table  grape  ; bunches  medium  size,  berries  small,  black,  and 
without  pulp. 

Wine  ; pink  or  light  red,  resembling  in  flavor  the  Spanish 
Manzanilla. 

10.  Minor’s  Seedling  ; a new  grape  of  the  Fox  family. 
Fruit ; bunches  medium  size,  berries  large,  pulpy,  musky, 
and  rich  flavored,  very  hardy  ; but  little  subject  to  rot. 


VARIETIES  OF  GRAPES  AND  WINES. 


25 


Wine;  too  musky  and  high  flavored  to  be  pleasant,  with- 
out mixing  with  other  kinds. 

This  grape  will  probably  be  found  a valuable  variety  for 
the  vineyard. 

11.  White  Catawba;  a new  seedling  from  the  Catawba, 
but  far  inferior  to  the  parent. 

Bunches  medium  size,  shouldered,  berries  white,  large, 
round,  and  pulpy — in  taste  like  the  Fox  Grape. 

Wine  ; not  tested. 

12.  Mammoth  Catawba  ; another  new  seedling,  re- 
sembling the  Catawba  in  color,  but  not  so  well  flavored. 
Bunches  large,  shouldered,  berries  very  large,  round,  pulpy — 
in  some  seasons  subject  to  fall  off  before  ripening. 

Wine  ; not  tested. 

Mr.  Longworth,  in  a letter  to  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural 
Society,  remarks:  — “ I have  for  thirty  years  experimented 
on  the  foreign  grape,  both  for  the  table  and  for  wine.  In  the 
acclimation  of  plants,  I do  not  believe  ; for  the  White  Sweet 
Water  does  not  succeed  as  well  with  me,  as  it  did  thirty 
years  since.  I obtained  a large  variety  of  French  grapes 
from  Mr.  Loubat,  many  years  since.  They  were  from  the  vi- 
cinity of  Paris  and  Bourdeaux.  From  Madeira,  I obtained 
six  thousand  vines  of  their  best  wine  grapes.  Not  one  was 
found  worthy  of  cultivation  in  this  latitude,  and  were  rooted 
from  the  vineyards.  As  a last  experiment,  I imported  seven 
thousand  vines  from  the  mountains  of  Jura,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Salins,  in  France.  At  that  point  the  vine  region  suddenly 
ends,  and  many  vines  are  there  cultivated  on  the  north  side 
of  the  mountain,  where  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow  the 
whole  winter,  from  three  to  four  feet  deep.  Nearly  all  lived, 
and  embraced  about  twenty  varieties  of  the  most  celebrated 
wine  grapes  of  France.  But  after  a trial  of  five  years,  all 
have  been  thrown  away.  I also  imported  samples  of  wine 
made  from  all  the  grapes.  One  variety  alone,  the  celebrated 


26 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


Arbois  wine,  which  partakes  slightly  of  the  Champagne  char- 
acter, would  compete  with  our  Catawba. 

“If  we  intend  cultivating  the  grape  for  wine,  we  must  rely 
on  our  native  grapes,  and  new  varieties  raised  from  their 
seed.  If  I could  get  my  lease  of  life  renewed  for  twenty  or 
thirty  years,  I would  devote  my  attention  to  the  subject,  and 
I would  cross  our  best  native  varieties  with  the  best  table  and 
wine  grapes  of  Europe.  We  live  in  a great  age.  Discoveries 
are  daily  made  that  confound  us,  and  we  know  not  where  we 
shall  stop.  We  are  told  of  experiments  in  mesmerism,  as 
wonderful  as  the  grinding  over  system  would  be ; but  I fear 
the  discovery  will  not  be  brought  to  perfection  in  time  to  an- 
swer my  purpose,  and  I must  leave  the  subject  with  the 
young  generation. 

“ I have  heretofore  wanted  faith  in  the  doctrine  of  French 
Horticulturists,  that  to  improve  your  stock  of  pears,  you  must 
not  select  the  seed  of  the  finest  fruit,  but  of  the  natural  choke 
pear.  I am  half  converted  to  their  views.  The  Catawba  is 
clearly  derived  from  the  common  Fox  grape.  In  raising 
from  its  seed,  even  white  ones  are  produced,  but  I have  not 
seen  one  equal  to  the  parent  plant,  and  in  all,  the  white  down 
on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  and  the  hairs  on  the  stalk, 
common  to  the  wild  Fox  grape,  are  abundant.” 

DURABILITY  OF  A VINEYARD. 

The  oldest  vineyard  in  this  county  is  one  of  Mr.  Long- 
worth’s,  on  Baldface. 

It  was  planted  twenty -seven  years  ago,  on  ground  trenched 
with  the  spade  two  feet  deep.  It  is  still  in  vigorous  bearing, 
and  has  nothing  to  contend  with,  but  the  rot  in  wet  seasons. 

Several  other  vineyards  in  the  county  are  from  fifteen  to 
eighteen,  and  a few,  twenty  years  old. 

Dr.  Mosher  in  an  able  article  on  Grape  Culture,  in  the 
“Farmer  and  Gardener,”  Vol.  5,  p.  206,  says: 


THE  WINE  PRESS. 


ii>7 


“Vineyards  planted  at  Vevay,  in  Indiana,  by  the  Swiss, 
merely  on  deeply  plowed  ground,  failed  in  fifteen  years. 
When  the  ground  is  plowed  eighteen  inches  deep,  it  may 
bear  tolerably  well  for  twenty  years  ; but  a vineyard  planted 
on  ground  well  trenched  two  feet  deep,  and  properly  drained 
and  cultivated,  may  be  expected  to  last  fifty  or  one  hundred 
years,  or  perhaps  more.  The  crop,  also,  is  much  more  cer- 
tain when  the  ground  is  well  trenched,  not  being  so  liable  to 
suffer  from  droughts  or  rainy  seasons.” 

Mr.  Mottier  is  of  the  opinion  that  fifty  years  is  as  long  as 
a vineyard  will  last  in  this  country,  even  with  the  best  at- 
tention. 

to  restore  premature  decay  in  a vineyard. 

It  has  been  suggested,  that  when  the  ground  was  prepared 
originally  with  the  plow,  and  the  vines  planted  too  close  to- 
gether, the  vineyard  might  be  restored  to  vigorous  bearing, 
by  taking  up  every  other  vine  in  the  close  planted  rows,  and 
trenching  the  ground  for  half  the  distance  between  the  rows 
two  and  a half  feet  deep.  How  far  the  partial  root  pruning 
thus  given  to  the  vines  might  affect  them,  is  uncertain.  The 
experiment  might  be  tried  on  a small  scale. 

The  old  system  of  renewing  worn  out  vineyards,  by 
trenching  between  each  row,  and  forming  new  plants  from 
layers,  is  a good  one ; but  two  or  three  seasons  are  lost  in 
adopting  that  method. 


MAKING  WINE. 

THE  wine  press 

Is  made  somewhat  like  a “screw  cider  press.”  An  iron 
screw,  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter  is  used — either  in  a 
strong  upright  frame,  or  coming  up  through  the  center  of 
the  platform  (the  latter  is  the  cheapest,  and  most  simole  in 


28 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


construction).  A strong,  tight,  box  platform  six  or  seven 
feet  square,  of  two  or  three  inch  plank,  six  or  eight  inches 
high  at  the  sides,  is  wedged  into  heavy  timbers ; and,  in  this,  a 
box  of  one  and  a quarter  inch  boards,  five  or  six  feet  square, 
perforated  with  holes  near  the  lower  edge,  ten  or  twelve 
inches  high  at  the  sides  (made  to  be  readily  taken  apart),  is 
placed  to  contain  the  mashed  grapes.  Boards  to  fit  loosely 
inside  of  this  box,  and  lay  on  top  of  the  pile  of  mashed 
grapes  (or  “ cheese”  as  cider-makers  call  it)  and  pieces  of 
scantling  to  lay  across  to  receive  the  pressure,  complete  the 
press. 

The  power  is  applied  by  a strong  lever  attached  to  the  nut 
or  female  screw,  and  the  juice  runs  out  through  a hole,  with 
a spout,  in  front  of  the  platform,  into  a large  receiving  tub. 

N.  B.  Doctor  Warder  suggests  an  improvement,  adopted 
by  Mr.  Rentz,  in  his  wine  press.  Inch  strips  are  placed  on 
the  platform,  and  boards  perforated  with  holes,  laid  on  them 
as  a bottom  for  the  box  that  contains  the  mashed  grapes. 

GATHERING  AND  PRESSING  THE  GRAPES. 

The  grapes  should  remain  on  the  vines  until  very  ripe, 
“ dead  ripe”  as  some  express  it.  Pick  off  all  decayed  or  un- 
ripe berries  from  the  bunches,  which  are  then  bruised  in  a 
mashing  tub  (a  vessel  like  an  inverted  churn),  or  passed 
through  a small  wooden  mill,  breaking  the  skins  and  pulp, 
but  not  the  seeds.  They  are  then  emptied  into  the  press,  and 
the  screw  applied,  until  the  pulp  and  skins  are  pressed  dry, 
or  all  the  juice  is  extracted.  The  outside  of  the  cheese  has 
to  be  cut  off  two  or  three  times,  and  thrown  on  the  top,  and 
re-pressed,  in  order  to  extract  all  the  juice.  The  juice  oi 
“ must”  as  it  is  called,  is  then  put  into  clean  casks  in  a cool 
cellar,  for  fermentation. 

Everything  connected  with  the  making  of  wine,  requires 
great  care  and  neatness.  The  press,  vessels  and  casks,  must  be 
perfectly  clean ; and,  in  short,  as  much  attention  to  cleanli- 


GATHERING  AND  PRESSING  GRAPES. 


ness  must  be  observed,  as  in  making  butter,  else  the  wine 
will  lose  the  fine  fruity  aroma  and  flavor  of  the  grape , which 
is  to  give  it  character  and  make  it  sell. 

It  is  now  generally  admitted  that  stemming  the  grapes , is  a 
great  advantage  to  the  wine.  The  writer  has  adopted  a 
cheap  and  simple  method,  which,  if  not  as  mechanical  as 
Mr.  Corneau’s,  yet  answers  the  purpose  very  well: — A 
wire  screen  of  an  oblong  square  form,  with  meshes  of  three 
quarters  of  an  inch,  is  placed  to  slide  on  a slight  frame,  over 
a large  receiving  tub ; on  this  screen  the  mashed  grapes  are 
poured  from  the  mashing  tubs, — with  a few  vigorous  slides 
and  shakes,  the  pulp  and  skins  fall  through  the  sieve,  leaving 
the  stems  on  its  surface.  The  stems  comprise  about  one- 
tenth  of  a measured  bushel  of  unstemmed  grapes. 

The  “pummies”  (skins  and  seeds  after  being  pressed)  is 
thrown  on  the  manure  pile  ; or,  distilled,  to  make  brandy. 

Mr.  Longworth  says,  “To  insure  success  we  must  ob- 
serve great  care  in  selecting  the  fruit.  Select  good  sweet 
casks,  and  use  cleanliness  in  expressing  the  juice,  and  skill  in 
the  process  of  manufacture  and  preservation  of  the  wine. 
Keep  it  in  a cool  cellar,  cask  tight,  and  carefully  rack  the 
same  yearly,  till  the  wine  is  perfectly  fine,  and  fit  for  bottling ; 
for  wines,  that  have  no  alcohol  added,  require  tight  casks 
and  cool  cellars,  to  keep  them  sound.  They  are  less  subject 
to  run  into  the  acetous  fermentation  with  us,  than  they  are 
in  France  and  Germany.  To  the  ropiness  of  which  they 
complain,  our  wine  is  not  subject.  It  is  a common  saying  in 
France  and  Germany,  that  ‘a  poor  man  cannot  make  good 
wine/  The  reason  is  obvious.  The  rich  man  not  only  has 
more  influence  in  obtaining  favorable  opinions,  but  he  also 
uses  more  care  and  skill  in  the  manufacture.  The  poor  man 
must  sell  his  wine  as  soon  as  made.  The  rich  man  retains  it 
till  it  is  improved  by  age,  and  never  sells  any  under  his  own 
name,  but  that  which  proves  to  be  of  superior  quality.  The 
vintage  of  bad  years,  is  sold  without  a name.  So  much  de- 


30 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAJPE. 


pends  on  manufacture  and  reputation  in  Europe,  that  wine 
from  the  same  variety  of  grape,  and  the  vines  divided  by  a 
footpath  in  the  same  vineyard,  have  very  different  reputa- 
tions. The  one  will  bring  eighteen  dollars  per  dozen,  where 
its  neighbor  will  not  command  three  dollars.  Many  com- 
mence the  manufacture  at  the  lowest  price,  and  in  a few 
years,  by  great  care  and  skill,  command  the  highest.” 

In  the  Horticulturist  of  January  last,  a writer  from  Mis- 
sissippi recommends  the  use  of  whisky  barrels,  in  wine-making. 
Perhaps  they  might  answer  in  Mississippi,  but  it  would  be  a 
great  mistake  to  use  them  here.  The  taste  of  the  whisky 
would  destroy  the  flavor  of  our  Catawba  grape, — which  we 
prize  so  highly  in  our  wine, — and  render  it  unsalable.  To 
avoid  giving  any  extraneous  taste  to  the  wine,  the  casks 
should  be  at  first,  new,  filled  up  with  pure  water,  and  soaked 
for  ten  or  fifteen  days ; then,  well  scalded  out,  and  fumigated 
with  sulphur.  In  using  them  afterward,  they  should  be 
thoroughly  cleansed  every  year,  before  the  wine  is  put  into 
them  to  ferment. 

FERMENTATION. 

This  process  as  generally  pursued  here,  is  very  simple. 
The  casks  are  filled  up  within  five  or  six  inches  of  the 
bung,  and  the  bung  put  on  loosely.  The  gas  escapes  without 
the  wine  running  over.  Usually,  in  two  to  three  weeks,  the 
fermentation  ceases,  and  the  wine  becomes  clear ; then  Jill  up 
the  casks  and  tighten  the  bungs. 

In  February  or  March,  rack  off  the  wine  into  clean  casks 
and  bung  tight. 

A second,  but  moderate  fermentation,  will  take  place  late 
in  the  spring ; after  that  the  wine  fines  itself,  and  is  ready  for 
sale  ; and  if  the  casks  are  kept  well  filled,  and  the  bungs 
tight,  it  will  improve  by  age  for  many  years.  Use  no  brandy 
9r  sugar,  if  the  grapes  are  sound  and  well  ripened. 

Since  the  above  was  written  an  improvement  has  been 
adopted  by  many,  in  the  fermentation  of  wines. — When  the 


FERMENTATION. 


31 


must  is  put  into  the  cask,  and  the  cask  filled  within  an  eighth 
or  tenth  of  its  capacity,  (to  leave  room  for  fermentation) — a 
tin  syphon  is  fitted  tight  into  the  bung,  with  the  end  of  the 
tube  in  a bucket  of  water,  thus  permitting  the  gas  to  escape 
through  the  water,  without  the  wine  coming  in  contact  with 
the  atmospheric  air.  Some  of  the  strength  and  of  the  fruity 
aroma  is  thus  retained  in  the  wine,  that  would  otherwise 
escape  by  exposure  in  the  methods  formerly  pursued. 

The  safest  method  of  keeping  this  wine  is  in  bottles,  well 
corked  and  sealed,  and  laid  on  their  sides  in  a cool  place. 

The  fewer  rackings  it  receives,  and  the  less  it  is  exposed  to 
the  air,  the  sweeter  and  better  it  will  keep ; retaining  the  fine 
aroma  and  flavor  of  the  grape,  and  acquiring  but  little  acidity. 
It  will  do  to  bottle  in  about  a year  after  it  is  made,  but  two 
years  would  be  better.  Never  bottle  before  the  second  fer- 
mentation. 

Racking  but  once,  as  here  recommended,  is  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Rehfuss,  who  proposes  at  least  three 
or  four. 

The  writer  has  tried  both  plans,  and  prefers  his  own,  as 
producing  a wine  of  less  acidity  than  when  exposed  to  the  air 
by  frequent  rackings.  The  Doctor  is  an  able  chemist,  and 
has  doubtless  good  arguments  for  his  theory.  Further  experi- 
ments may  prove  that  his  mode  is  the  best. 

As  the  process  of  fermentation  is  a matter  of  the  greatest 
importance  in  making  wine,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
Appendix,  for  an  able  article  on  the  subject,  from  the  pen  of 
Mr.  Julius  Brace. 

Persons  desirous  of  making  a variety  of  wines  from  the 
same  grape,  may  do  so  by  adopting  the  following  methods : 
The  juice,  or  “ must,”  that  runs  from  the  mashed  grapes,  as 
poured  on  the  press,  is  put  into  one  cask — that  which  comes 
from  the  first  pressing,  into  another,  and  the  juice  obtained 
by  the  second  and  last  pressings , into  a third  cask — the  quan- 
tity of  must  in  each  will  be  about  equal,  and  the  wine  different 


32 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


in  quality,  as  in  the  order  above  stated.  A fourth  variety  may 
be  made  of  a rich  claret  color,  by  fermenting  in  the  skins ; and 
by  a greater  or  less  fermentation  the  quality  may  be  varied. 
These  last  will  be  too  rough  and  astringent,  when  new,  to 
suit  the  public  taste,  but  will  become  rich  and  palatable  when 
mellowed  by  age. 

The  common  practice  is  to  put  all  the  must  together  in  the 
same  cask,  believing  that  the  whole  of  the  juice  of  the  grape 
is  required  to  make  a fair  average  wine. 

This  has  been  the  custom  with  the  writer,  except  that  the 
last  pressing,  being  weak  and  astringent,  is  mixed  with  the 
must  of  the  refuse  grapes,  and  sold  as  an  inferior  wine — usu- 
ally at  half  price. 

The  quality  of  wines  differs  with  the  seasons,  a warm,  dry 
summer  and  autumn  are  more  propitious  to  maturing  the 
grape  than  a wet  one,  hence  the  variation  in  wines  of  different 
vintages.  1846,  1848,  and  1851  were  remarkably  favorable 
in  this  respect. 

We  have  much  to  learn  yet  in  the  art  of  making  wines,  and 
doubtless  will  be  progressing  in  that  knowledge  for  many 
years.  We  have  a noble  material  to  work  upon  in  our  Ca- 
tawba grape,  and  if  we  do  not  improve,  American  ingenuity 
will  for  once  be  at  fault. 

In  the  valuable  work  on  wines  by  Cyrus  Redding,  second 
edition,  London,  1836,  at  page  42,  will  be  found  the  following 
method  of  making  a sweet  wine,  by  arresting  the  fermenta- 
tion with  sulphur  and  spirits  : 

“ In  the  south  of  France  a quantity  of  wine  is  made  called 
muet,  for  which  the  grapes  are  trodden  and  pressed  at  the 
vintage,  and  the  wine  is  fined  immediately,  to  prevent  fer- 
mentation. This  wine,  or  rather  must,  is  next  poured  into  a 
barrel  until  it  is  only  a fourth  part  filled  ; above  the  surface 
of  the  liquid  several  sulphur  matches  are  then  burned,  and 
the  bung  closed  upon  the  fumes.  The  cask  is  now  violently 
shaken  until  the  sulphurous  gas  is  absorbed,  so  that  none 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WINE. 


33 


escapes  on  opening  the  bung.  More  must  is  then  added,  and 
fresh  sulphur,  and  the  cask  treated  as  before.  This  is  re- 
peated several  times,  until  the  cask  is  full.  This  must  never 
ferments  ; it  has  a sweetish  flavor  and  a strong  smell  of  sul- 
phur. A quantity  of  proof  spirit  is  now  added,  and  a wine 
highly  spiritous  is  the  product.  It  is  generally  employed  to 
give  strength,  sweetness,  and  durability  to  wines  which  lack 
these  qualities.” 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  so  unwholesome  a compound  may 
never  be  prepared  and  sold  here  under  the  name  of  wine,  and 
that  our  Catawba  may  not  be  discredited  by  such  mixtures. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  WINE. 

The  wine  has  suffered  much  from  want  of  skill,  and  care- 
ful attention  in  making  it,  as  well  as  from  neglect,  in  not 
keeping  it  in  cool  cellars  ; but,  that  it  can  be  made  good,  and 
when  so  made,  enjoys  a high  reputation  both  at  home  and 
abroad,  the  following  extracts  will  clearly  show. 

At  the  autumnal  exhibition  of  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural 
Society  in  1843,  the  committee,  after  passing  judgment  on 
the  wines  exhibited,  remark : “ The  committee  have  great 
confidence  in  saying,  that  these  fine  specimens  of  pure  native 
wines,  have  placed  it  beyond  a doubt,  that  the  time  is  not  far 
distant,  when  our  surrounding  hills  will  be  as  celebrated  for 
good  wine,  as  any  part  of  the  valley  of  the  Rhine.” 

At  the  conclusion  of  a very  able  report  by  Dr.  Flagg, 
chairman  of  the  same  committee,  May  2,  1846,  an  analysis 
of  wines  by  Dr.  Chapman,  is  given : 

I.  Catawba,  from  N.  Longworth’s  vintage,  1845,  alcohol 
11.5,  water  88.5 — equal  100. 

II.  Catawba,  from  Rentz’s  vintage,  1845,  alcohol  11, 
water,  89 — equal  100. 

III.  Hockheimer,  Rhine  wine,  seven  years  old,  alcohol  7.5, 
water  92.5 — equal  to  100. 


34 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


IV.  Red  wine  (Cape),  P.  Bate’s  vintage,  1845,  alcohol 
9.12,  water  90.88 — equal  100. 

Showing  a decided  difference  in  favor  of  the  American 
wine. 

The  above  wines  were  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape. 

Mr.  Longworth,  Horticulturist,  Vol.  2,  p.  318,  in  an  article 
to  C.  W.  Elliot,  written  in  1 847,  remarks  : 

“ My  own  impression  is,  that  in  skillful  hands,  our  Catawba 
will  make  a wine  superior  in  flavor  and  aroma  to  the  best 
French  champagne  imported,  or  that  manufactured  in  London 
from  perry,  or  in  New  Jersey  from  cider  and  green  corn.  The 
aroma  of  the  Catawba  grape  continues  in  the  wine  in  all  its 
stages. 

“ I made  the  first  Champagne  five  years  since.  It  was 
produced  by  chance,  and  induced  me  to  erect  a building  for 
the  manufacture,  and  to  send  to  France  for  a manufacturer; 
I shall  be  content,  if  we  can  always  make  as  fine  a wine  by 
design  as  was  then  made  by  accident.” 

In  a communication  to  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society, 
Sept.,  10,  1845,  Mr.  Longworth  remarks  : 

“We  have  prejudices  to  overcome,  * for  a prophet  is  not 
honored  in  his  own  country.’ 

“ We  become  fond  of  the  flavor  of  particular  wines  from  a 
continued  use  of  them,  as  some  of  our  citizens  have  of  the 
bilge-water  taste  of  the  Spanish  Manzanilla.  Our  domestic 
wines  have  a flavor  of  their  own,  and  with  wine  drinkers 
accustomed  to  the  particular  flavor  of  other  wines,  it  will  re- 
quire time  to  form  a taste  for  them.  It  was  so  with  our  Ger- 
man population ; for  a time  they  gave  a decided  preference 
to  German  wines.  They  now  greatly  prefer  the  domestic. 

“ For  the  manufacture  of  a fine  dry  Hock,  I consider  the 
Catawba  unrivaled. 

“ But  our  Madeira  and  Sherry  wine-bibbers  would  say,  as 
Mr.  Schultz’s  friends  told  him  in  Baltimore,  thirty  years 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WINE. 


35 


since,  when  as  a new  article  in  this  country,  he  gave  them  as 
a great  treat,  some  old  dry  Hock.  He  said  nothing,  but 
looked  around  expecting  to  see  smacking  of  lips,  and  hear 
exclamations  of  admiration.  But  the  universal  cry  was, 
* What  a 'pity , Shultz,  your  cider  is  sour  !* 

“At  a comparison  of  domestic  wines  from  our  different 
vineyards,  by  a dozen  of  Hock-drinkers,  selected  for  the  occa- 
sion, the  gentleman  who  acted  as  chief  of  the  judges,  was  a 
great  admirer  of  Spanish  Manzanilla  ; and  with  a view  to  test 
their  judgment,  I slipped  in  a bottle  of  his  favorite  wine. 
While  his  brethren  were  tasting  the  wine  and  expressing  their 
opinions,  their  leader  slowly  tasted  each  bottle,  but  said  not  a 
word  until  he  had  tasted  the  whole.  He  then  remarked  that 
‘he  should  reserve  his  opinion  as  to  the  best,  but  would 
promptly  decide  which  was  the  worst  bottle  on  the  table,* 
and  placed  his  hand  on  the  Manzanilla.  I told  him  I con- 
curred in  his  opinion,  but  he  might  change  his  mind  when 
advised  that  it  was  his  favorite  Spanish  wine,  and  from 
the  same  cask  that  he  had  always  pronounced  a superior 
article. 

“ A gentleman  from  an  Eastern  city,  a few  evenings  since, 
very  gravely  and  sincerely  gave  me  an  instance  which  took 
placo  in  his  own  presence.  Their  wine  club  had  recently 
broached  a pipe  of  high-priced  wine,  with  which  they  were 
much  delighted,  until  a conspicuous  member  observed  that  he 
detected  a slight  taste  of  copper — a brother  member  admitted 
a slight  peculiar  flavor,  but  insisted  that  it  was  leather.  The 
president  of  the  club  was  referred  to,  who  promptly  decided 
that  it  was  a compound  of  both  copper  and  leather.  The 
debate  waxed  warm,  and  all  three  had  their  adherents,  when 
it  was  decided  to  draw  off  the  wine  from  the  pipe  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  fctwdety.  This  was  done,  and  at  the  bottom,  im- 
mersed in  the  sediment,  was  found  a small  copper  key  with  a 
short  strip  of  leather  attached  to  it  !**  Mr.  Longworth  re- 
marks: “I  presume  the  Eastern  gentleman  took  it  for 


36 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


granted  that  Don  Quixote  had  never  got  as  far  west  as  our 
back  woods.” 

A gentleman  in  our  own  city,  in  whose  judgment  in  wines 
great  confidence  was  placed,  could  never  be  induced  even  to 
taste  our  domestic  Hock,  though  a great  admirer  of  the  im- 
ported article.  On  two  or  three  occasions  I knew  him  to  take 
a glass,  and  praise  it  highly ; but  the  moment  that  a smile 
from  the  host  told  him  of  his  error,  he  backed  out,  readily 
discovered  his  error,  and  could  not  be  induced  to  make  a fur- 
ther trial.  But  on  a certain  occasion  a friend  invited  him  to 
dine  with  him,  and  drink  a glass  of  superior  Hock,  recently 
sent  him  as  a present.  The  bait  took — the  gentleman  praised 
the  wine  highly,  and  pronounced  it  equal  to  any  he  had  ever 
drank,  and  proved  his  sincerity  by  not  leaving  the  table  till 
he  had  two  bottles  under  his  belt ; and  for  the  next  month, 
never  met  his  host  without  inquiring  if  all  his  fine  wine  was 
gone,  and  expressing  a great  desire  to  give  it  a second  trial. 
After  he  was  fairly  committed,  he  was  told  that  it  was  the  na- 
tive Catawba.  From  that  day  he  knocked  under,  and  acknowl- 
edged his  prejudices  had  blinded  him.” 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  physicians  and  Horticulturists 
in  the  State,  Dr.  Kirtland,  in  his  article  on  the  cultivation  of 
the  grape,  in  the  “Western  Farmer,”  Yol.  3,  p.  134  (1842), 
observes:  — “The  point  has  been  satisfactorily  settled,  that 
the  rich  limestone  formations  in  the  south-western  part  of 
Ohio,  are  as  well  adapted  to  this  purpose  as  any  locality  on 
the  earth,  unless  it  be  in  some  volcanic  regions  enjoying  a 
more  uniform  climate.  Evidences  abundant  can  be  brought 
to  sustain  the  position,  that  within  half  a century,  Cincinnati 
will  be  celebrated  for  her  ‘vine  clad  hills., 

“ I look  upon  this  subject  with  great  interest  in  another 
point  of  view.  During  an  extensive  practice  in  the  medical 
profession,  for  more  than  twenty-five  years,  I have  frequently 
found  it  important  to  employ  wine  and  other  diffusable  stimu- 
lants as  medicines.  Whatever  other  medical  men  may  say  or 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WINE. 


37 


think  of  the  matter,  I must  state,  that  I cannot  in  all  instances 
find  in  the  Materia  Medica  a substitute  for  them  ; and  while  I 
am  disposed  to  go  as  far  as  any  one,  in  excluding  strong 
drinks  from  the  daily  use  of  people  in  health,  I must  express 
my  satisfaction,  at  finding  we  can  produce  in  our  own  coun- 
try, a pure,  healthy  wine,  well  adapted  to  medicinal  pur- 
poses, and  far  superior  to  the  adulterated,  poisonous  foreign 
compounds,  that  often  find  their  way  to  the  bedsides  of  the 
sick,  under  the  names  of  ‘Lisbon/  ‘Madeira,’  &c.  &c.” 

In  the  Horticulturist,  Vol.  1,  p.  53,  Mr.  Downing  says : — 
“ Mr.  Longworth  of  Cincinnati  very  obligingly  sent  us  last 
month  a case  of  American  wine,  the  product  of  his  vineyards 
on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio. 

“We  have  been  in  the  highest  degree  pleased  with  these 
wines.  They  severally  are  the  product  of  the  Catawba,  Cape, 
Isabella,  and  Missouri  grapes — all  native  sorts.  The  very 
best  is  the  Catawba,  of  which  we  received  samples  of  several 
vintages.  The  character  of  the  wine  is  that  of  excellent 
hock,  like  the  better  class  wines  of  the  Rhine. 

“We  sent  a bottle  of  this  Catawba  wine  to  one  of  the  old- 
est and  most  respectable  wine  houses  in  this  country,  Messrs. 
Binninger  & Co.,  New  York.  These  gentlemen  wrote  us  in 
reply  : — ‘We  are  very  much  gratified  in  having  an  opportu- 
nity of  tasting  this  wine,  which  is  the  first  American  wine 
^hat  deserves  the  name  of  wine,  that  we  have  ever  seen.  It 
strongly  resembles  hock,  and  we  should  have  pronounced  it 
such.’  ” 

Mr.  Downing  farther  says:  — “These  wines  are  entirely 
pure,  without  the  addition  of  alcohol,  and  the  temperance 
cause  has  everything  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose,  by  a general 
production  and  consumption  of  such  a wholesome  beverage. 
This,  every  one  familiar  with  the  hock  and  claret  districts  of 
Europe,  where  ardent  spirits  are  not  used,  will  cheerfully 
bear  testimony  to.  Indeed,  until  such  wines  can  be  produced, 
and  afforded,  as  they  soon  will  be,  pure,  and  at  low  prices  at 


38 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


home,  only  a small  class  of  persons  in  this  country  will  ever 
know  what  pure  light  wines  really  are ; what  is  sold  as  such 
by  the  retail  dealers  in  the  country  generally,  is  so 
brandied  and  manufactured,  as  to  become  worse  than  ardent 
spirits  itself.” 

Dr.  Flagg,  in  his  report  to  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural 
Society  for  1846,  justly  observes: — “I  am  confident  that 
the  introduction  of  pure  light  wine  as  a common  beverage, 
will  produce  a great  national  and  moral  reform  — one  that 
will  be  received  by  our  temperance  brethren,  ere  long,  as  a 
national  blessing — one  that  will  complete  the  work  they  have 
already  begun.  The  temperance  cause  is  rapidly  preparing 
public  sentiment  for  the  introduction  of  pure  American  wine. 
So  long  as  public  taste  remains  vitiated  by  the  use  of  malt 
and  alcoholic  drinks,  it  will  be  impossible  to  introduce  light, 
pleasant  wines,  except  to  a limited  extent ; but  just  in  pro- 
portion as  strong  drinks  are  abandoned,  a more  wholesome 
one  will  be  substituted.  Instead  of  paying  millions  to  for- 
eigners, as  we  now  do,  for  deleterious  drinks,  as  brandy  and 
wines,  let  us  produce  from  our  own  hill-sides  a wholesome 
beverage  that  will  be  within  the  reach  of  all,  the  poor  as  well 
as  the  rich.” 

Mr.  W.  R.  Prince,  of  New  York,  in  his  very  able  article 
on  American  Vineyards,  in  the  Horticulturist,  Vol.  1,  p.  393, 
remarks : “ The  pure  juice  of  the  grape  is  an  innocent 
beverage,  grateful  to  our  senses,  and  nourishing  to  the  sys- 
tem. That  man  has  abused  and  perverted  its  use,  is  no  argu- 
ment against  the  article  in  its  pure  and  natural  state,  for  what 
gift  of  Providence  is  there,  that  has  not  been  abused  ? In 
every  country  where  wine  is  produced  in  abundance,  intem- 
perance is  scarcely  known,  and  in  this  respect  the  vine-growing 
countries  will  compare  most  favorably  with  their  more  north- 
ern neighbors,  where  alcoholic  drinks  so  abound.” 

President  Jefeerson  has  recorded  his  opinion,  that — “No 
nation  is  drunken  where  wine  is  cheap ; and  none  sober  where 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WINE. 


39 


the  dearness  of  wine  substitutes  ardent  spirits  as  the  common 
beverage.” 

Extracts  from  Reports  of  the  Committee  on  Wines,  to  the 
Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society  for  1843. 

Mr.  Mottier’s  Catawba,  vintage  of  1837 — was  adjudged 
the  best. 

Mr.  Resor’s  Catawba,  of  1839,  “ a wine  of  good  capacity,” 
“ by  age,  will  become  of  a high  character.” 

Mr.  Mottier’s  and  Mr.  Resor’s  “ Cape”  wines,  highly 
spoken  of. 

Report  for  1844.  The  committee  met  at  the  house  of  the 
president. 

Thirty-nine  bottles  were  exhibited  ; some  pronounced  very 
fine,  the  preference  given  to  the  Catawba.  A few  bottles  of 
foreign  wines  were  intermingled,  but  generally  detected,  and 
pronounced  inferior  to  the  native.  Private  marks  were 
placed  on  all  the  bottles,  known  only  to  the  President  and 
Secretary. 

This  test  was  very  creditable  to  the  discrimination  of  the 
judges,  and  favorable  to  the  quality  of  the  native  wines. 
Three  gentlemen  from  wine  countries  in  Europe,  were  added 
to  the  committee,  Messrs.  Were,  Rehfuss,  and  Brachman, 
who  fully  concurred  in  the  opinion  of  the  superiority  of  the 
native  wine. 

[See  Farmer  and  Gardener,  Vol.  5,  p.  255.] 

At  an  examination  of  wines  of  the  vintage  of  1847,  by  the 
wine  committee  of  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society,  in 
March  1848,  thirty-six  samples  were  presented,  most  of  them 
of  excellent  quality. 

The  prize  of  a silver  cup  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Schneicke, 
for  the  best  Catawba  wine  ; a certificate  to  Dr.  Mosher,  for 
the  second,  and  to  Mr.  Rentz,  for  the  third  best. 

A still  larger  number  of  samples  was  presented  at  the 
4 


40 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


examination  by  the  committee,  in  April,  1849,  of  the  vintage  of 
1848,  viz:  fifty -one  bottles  of  Catawba  wine.  The  silver  cup  was 
awarded  to  T.  H.  Yeatman,  and  Certificates  to  Messrs. 
Longworth  and  Buchanan,  for  the  second  and  third  best. 
The  wines  presented  this  year  were  pronounced  “ excellent, 99 
for  new  wines. 

Samples  of  wine  from  Herbemont’s  Madeira  Grape,  Cape , 
Minor’s  Seedling,  Missouri,  Ohio,  Isabella,  and  Norton’s 
Seedling,  were  presented  by  Mr.  Longworth,  and  were 
ranked  in  quality  by  the  judges,  in  the  order  here  named. 

“The  committee  on  American  Wine 
having  examined  the  specimens  sent  in  to  the  Annual  Exhi- 
bition of  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society,  held  September 
9th  and  10th,  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  brief  Report: 

“ The  number  of  specimens,  although  greater  than  at  any 
former  Exhibition,  was  not  as  large  as  might  have  been  an- 
ticipated at  this  time,  there  being  such  an  interest  taken,  and 
the  amount  of  capital  so  great  invested,  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  vine,  the  annual  product  of  which,  in  five  years,  cannot 
be  less  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  this  county 
alone.  In  order  to  do  ample  justice,  the  specimens  were 
removed  to  a good  wine  cellar,  where  they  remained  ten  days 
before  they  were  examined  by  the  hydrometer,  and  every 
other  necessary  means  taken  to  give  impartial  judgment.” 

Class  1st.  — No.  1.  Pure  wine;  vintage  1845.  Spec, 
grav.  .78.  A most  excellent  wine  ; will  improve  by  age. 

No.  2.  Four  oz.  sugar  to  the  gallon.  Spec.  grav.  76£. 
Much  inferior  to  No.  1,  the  pure  wine. 

Class  2d. — No.  1,  with  sugar;  vintage  1841.  Resembles 
some  of  the  light  Mediterranean  wines ; does  not  bear  com- 
parison with  the  pure  wine. 

No.  2,  with  sugar  ; vintage  1841.  Resembles  some  ot  the 
imitations  of  Madeira.  Spec.  grav.  .76. 

Class  3d. — No.  1.  Pure  wine;  vintage  1845.  Spec.  grav. 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WINE. 


41 


.74.  Good  wine,  rather  acid  ; thought  not  to  have  been  put 
into  perfectly  sweet  bottles.  Not  quite  equal  to  No.  1,  in 
class  1st. 

Class  4th.  — No.  1.  Pure  wine  ; vintage  1845.  Not  able 
to  judge  in  consequence  of  its  being  pricked. 

No.  2.  Pure  wine  ; vintage  1845.  A fair  light  wine  ; re- 
sembles some  of  the  lower  grades  of  French;  believed  care 
was  not  taken  in  picking  the  grapes,  and  in  fermentation. 

Class  5th.  — No.  1.  Pure  wine;  vintage  1845.  Spec, 
grav.  .75^-.  A very  superior  wine  ; resembles  very  much  the 
white  hermitage,  which  may  be  considered  a very  great  com- 
pliment. This  wine  was  made  with  great  care  ; the  sound 
and  perfect  berries  being  picked  from  the  stems,  and  every 
other  necessary  process  received  equal  attention. 

Class  6th. — No.  1.  Pure  wine;  vintage  1845.  Spec, 
grav.  .75.  May  have  been  originally  good  ; believed  to  have 
been  put  into  an  impure  cask,  which  formerly  contained  for- 
eign wine,  either  French  or  German,  which  very  much 
changed  its  flavor. 

Class  7th. — No.  1.  Pure  wine  ; vintage  1845.  Not  able  to 
judge,  being  pricked,  and  not  properly  treated.  Perhaps  part 
of  the  berries  were  unripe,  and  other  necessary  care  not  taken. 

Your  committee  would  remark  that  great  care  and  atten- 
tion are  necessary  in  order  to  produce  good  pure  wine  ; much 
more  so  than  any  other  agricultural  product.  The  sound, 
perfect  fruit  should  be  kept  separate  from  that  which  is  im- 
perfect, and  the  wine  never  allowed  to  be  put  into  anything 
but  perfectly  pure  sweet  casks  or  bottles  ; as  a very  trifling  ne- 
glect may  cause  a great  loss  on  wine.  Much  also  depends 
upon  fermentation,  which  requires  great  attention,  and  after 
being  completed,  terminates  the  business  of  the  cultivator. 

Some  of  the  specimens  for  exhibition,  were  imitations  of 
foreign  wines,  which  your  committee  very  much  regret,  being 
desirous  to  establish  a character  for  American  wine,  which 
would  soon  be  accomplished,  by  giving  it  a fair  trial  upon  its 


42 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


own  merits.  If  American  wine  should  ever  become  a substi- 
tute for  the  present  poisonous  and  unwholesome  drinks,  it  must 
be  done  by  keeping  and  using  it  perfectly  pure,  and  avoiding 
all  adulterations  and  imitations  whatever. 

“ Your  committee  award  the  first  premium  to  Mr.  G. 
Sleath  ; pure  wine  ; vintage  1845  ; spec.  grav.  .75^ ; and  the 
second  premium  to  Mr.  L.  Rehfuss  ; pure  wine,  vintage  1845. 

“ M.  Flagg,  Ch'm  Committee  ” 

At  the  spring  exhibitions  of  wines  in  1850  and  1851,  about 
fifty  specimens  were  exhibited  at  each ; the  quality  was  pro- 
nounced better  than  at  any  former  trial.  Showing  a marked 
improvement. 

Mr.  Yeatman  took  the  first  premium  in  1850  ; Mr. 

the  second,  and  Mr.  S.  RiNTZ,thetfA*Vd.  A bottle  from  Mr. 
Williamson’s  vineyard — not  fairly  within  the  rules  — was 
pronounced  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  best. 

In  1851,  the  first  premium  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Mottier, 
the  second  to  F.  Schneicke,  and  the  third  to  D.  Z.  Seoam. 

At  the  great  New  York  State  Fair,  held  at  Rochester  in 
September,  1851,  the  committee  on  wines  — John  A.  King, 
Chairman — reported  on  those  from  the  “Rhine  of  America, 
the  Ohio  River,”  vintage  of  1850,  Mr.  Sleath,  best,  Mr. 
Rehfuss,  second,  Mr.  Brandt,  third.  Vintage  of  1849,  Mr. 
Buchanan,  best,  Corneau  & Son,  second,  Mr.  Ware,  third. 

Vintage  of  1848,  Mr.  Rintz,  best,  Mr.  Rehfuss,  second , 
ditto  third,  Mr.  Yeatman,  fourth.  Mr.  Longworth’s  Spark- 
ling Isabella,  best,  Sparkling  Catawba,  second,  both  excellent 
wines. 

Report  of  the  Wine  Committee  of  the  Pennsylvania  Horticul- 
tural Society,  Philadelphia,  for  September, 

“ The  committee  feel  under  obligations  to  Mr.  Longworth, 
for  his  kindness  in  presenting  them  with  an  opportunity  of 
tasting  the  best  specimens  of  American  wines  they  have  yet 
met  with.  And  they  are  pleased  to  find  that  the  untiring 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  WINE. 


43 


zeal  and  energy  with  which  he  has  for  so  many  years,  and  at 
great  expense,  prosecuted  the  subject  of  wine-making,  have 
been  crowned  with  so  much  success. 

“ On  motion,  ordered  that  a vote  of  thanks  be  tendered  to 
Mr.  Longworth,  for  specimens  of  his  fine  wines  presented  to 
the  Society.’ * 

The  delegation  from  that  Society  to  the  Cincinnati  Horti- 
cultural Society’s  exhibition  in  September  1848,  reported  on 
its  return,  “ various  kinds  of  grapes,  both  native  and  foreign, 
were  exhibited  in  great  abundance. 

“ But  the  favorite  with  them,  and  one  which  seems  to  be 
peculiarly  adapted  to  their  soil  and  climate,  is  our  native  Ca- 
tawba. It  is  this  grape  from  which  they  make  their  choicest 
wines.  Your  delegation  had  the  pleasure  of  tasting,  at  the 
Horticultural  Hall,  a sample  of  Mr.  Longworth’s  far-famed 
“ Sparkling  Catawba and  a more  exquisitely  flavored 
champagne,  it  would  be  difficult  to  meet  with  among  the  most 
celebrated  foreign  brands.” 


GRAPES  RAISED  AND  EXHIBITED  BY  N.  LONGWORTH,  IN  1846. 

Ohio,  White  Fox  (of  no  va-  Improved  Purple  Fox, 

Catawba,  lue), 

Graham,  Piqua  (of  no  value), 

Elsinburg,  Herbemont, 

Clarkson’s  Eastern  Ca-  Giant  Catawba, 
tawba,  Minor’s  Seedling, 

Indiana  (of  no  value),  Horton’s  Virginia  Seed-  Guignard, 

Black  Fox  (of  no  va-  ling  (a  good  grape  White  Seedling  Cataw- 
lue),  but  a bad  bearer), 


Red  Fox  (of  no  value), 
Virginia, 

Missouri, 

Helen, 

Lake  (a  bad  bearer). 


44 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


STATISTICS. 

THE  COST  OF  ESTABLISHING  A VINEYARD. 

The  cost  of  establishing  a vineyard  depends  much  on  the 
position  and  soil ; and  on  the  resources  for  labor  within  the 
family  of  the  proprietor ; or,  of  the  tenant  who  takes  the 
ground  on  a twelve  or  fifteen  years’  lease.  It  has  been  usual 
to  give  a piece  of  land,  of  say  fifteen  to  twenty  acres,  with  a 
small  house  on  it,  to  a German  vine-dresser,  on  a lease  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  years,  binding  the  tenant  to  plant  a certain 
quantity  in  grapes  each  year  in  a proper  manner — and  at  least 
five  or  six  acres  within  as  many  years,  he  paying  the  proprie- 
tor one-half  the  proceeds  of  the  vineyard  annually  after  bear- 
ing— and  one-half  of  any  fruit  raised  from  trees  furnished  by 
the  proprietor,  who  also  furnishes  roots  or  cuttings  for  the  first 
two  or  three  acres  planted  in  grapes. 

Mr.  Longworth  observes  : — “ I would  not  recommend  any 
individual  to  hire  hands,  and  cultivate  the  grape  extensively 
for  wine,  with  a view  to  profit.  But  I would  recommend 
landlords  to  rent  from  fifteen  to  twenty  acres  to  Germans,  for 
vineyards  and  orchards,  on  shares.  We  have  more  to  learn 
in  the  manufacture  of  the  wine,  than  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
grape.  And  I would  recommend  our  German  vine-dressing 
emigrants,  to  purchase  or  lease  a few  acres  of  rough,  cheap 
land  on  the  Ohio,  or  near  it,  with  a view  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  grape.  Land  will  be  suitable  for  it,  that  is  too  rough  for 
the  plow,  and  eight  or  ten  acres  will  give  employment  to  a 
whole  family.” 

No  accurate  statistics  of  the  cost  per  acre  of  planting  a 
vineyard  can  be  found,  except  those  of  the  writer  (where 
■everything  was  paid  for  in  money,  and  a regular  account 
kept),  and  of  Mr.  Resor’s  vineyard. 

Cost  of  a vineyard  of  six  acres — fourteen  thousand  four 
hundred  vines  : 


COST  OF  ESTABLISHING  A VINEYARD. 


46 


Trenching  two  feet  deep,  $65  per  acre, $390  00 

Sodding  avenues, 60  00 

Cost  of  30,000  cuttings,  at  $2,50  per  thousand, 75  00 

Planting, 70  00 

Fourteen  thousand  five  hundred  locust  stakes,  at  $3  per 

hundred, 435  00 

Setting  14,500  stakes, 55  00 


1,085  00 

Cost  of  attending  the  first  year — vine-dresser,  $216,  and  a 

hand  for  one  month,  $15  (and  board  themselves), $231  0(1 

Second  year  — vine-dresser,  $216,  a hand  for  two  months, 

at  $15  per  month, 256  00 

Cuttings,  after  first  year,  to  replace  failures,  say, 20  00 

Hauling,  carting,  etc., 68  00 

Contingencies,  etc., 150  00 


Average  cost,  say,  $300  per  acre, 1,800  00 


The  vineyard  being  on  a gentle  declivity  did  not  require 
benching , which  would  have  been  more  expensive  than  the 
draining  by  sodded  avenues  — nor  did  the  ground  contain 
stone  enough  to  add  to  the  expense  of  trenching,  which,  in 
some  positions,  is  a very  serious  item. 

By  proper  economy,  a man  may  have  a vineyard  of  seve- 
ral acres  in  a few  years,  without  feeling  the  expense  to  be 
burdensome.  Commence  by  trenching  one  acre  in  the  winter, 
and  planting  it  out  in  the  spring  ; next  year  another  acre,  and 
so  on,  for  five  or  six  years.  After  the  third  year,  he  will 
have  his  own  cuttings  from  the  first  acre,  and  also  grapes 
enough  to  pay  for  the  cost  of  planting  the  succeeding  addi- 
tions to  his  vineyard. 

If  he  has  suitable  timber  on  his  own  land,  the  stakes  can 
be  got  out  in  the  winter  with  but  little  outlay  in  money. 
By  this  course,  the  cost  of  a vineyard  of  six  acres  would  not 
be  half  as  much  as  the  foregoing  estimate. 

In  Mr.  Resor’s  article,  published  here  in  full,  will  be 
found  valuable  statistical  estimates  of  the  cost  of  the  vine- 
yard, and  alsc  of  its  product. 


46 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE, 


MR.  RESOR’S  VINEYARD. 

Upon  referring  to  some  memoranda  of  my  father,  I find, 
among  others,  the  following  account  kept  of  the  produce  of 
his  vineyard  since  1837.  As  several  of  our  members  are 
cultivating  the  vine,  I thought  it  would  be  interesting,  as  it 
is  difficult  to  obtain  a statement  of  the  kind,  kept  minutely 
for  a series  of  years. 

It  shows  the  actual  produce,  and  the  certainty  of  the  crop 
before  any  other  fruit  in  this  latitude,  and  the  difference  be- 
tween the  Catawba  and  Cape,  as  to  the  yield  and  certainty. 
The  Cape  having  borne  a first  rate  crop  for  nine  successive 
years,  the  Catawba  failing  occasionally,  from  rot  and  the  ef- 
fects of  insects. 

The  vineyard  has  a southern  exposure,  fronting  on  the  Ohio 
river ; it  was  planted  with  rooted  plants  in  1 834,  and  con- 
tained at  that  time,  1775  vines,  placed  in  rows  four  feet 
apart,  and  three  feet  distant  in  the  row  — the  ground  being 
previously  trenched,  and  the  stones  taken  out  to  the  depth  of 
two  feet. 

In  the  fall  of  1 837,  the  first  crop  was  picked  as  follows  : — 
163  bushels  of  grapes,  from  which  were  made  667  gallons  of 
wine.  At  this  time  there  were  1125  Isabella  and  Cape  vines, 
yielding  113  bushels,  making  469  gallons,  and  630  Catawba, 
yielding  51  bushels,  making  198  gallons. 

1838,  Vintage,  September  10,  produce  327  galls. 

1939,  “ “ 5,  “ 440  “ 

1840,  " “ 20,  Cape  240  “ 

Catawba  65 — 305  " 

This  year  (1840),  most  of  the  Catawba  rotted  on  the  vines. 
From  this  time  there  were  2,300  vines,  about  one-half  of  each 
kind. 

1841  Vintage,  Sept.  15,  produce  237  galls.  Catawba. 

“ “ " “ « 275  “ Cape. 

512  gallons. 


MR.  RESOR’S  VINEYARD. 


47 


1842  Vintage,  Sept.  12,  produce  166  galls.  Catawba. 

“ “ « **  “ 319  “ Cape. 

485  gallons. 

1843  Vintage,  Sept.  15,  produce  250  “ Catawba. 

“ “ “ « " 288  “ Cape. 

538  gallons. 

1844  Vintage,  Sept.  15,  produce  108  galls.  Catawba. 

“ « « “ “ 306  “ Cape. 

414  gallons. 

1845  Vintage,  Sept.  9,  produce  283  galls.  Cape. 

“ “ “ “ « 349  " Catawba. 

632  gallons. 

About  one-eighth  of  the  Catawba  grapes  were  destroyed 
by  bees  and  other  insects  after  ripening. 

The  quantity  eaten  by  three  families  is  not  taken  into  this 
account. 

The  ground  has  always  been  thoroughly  hoed  in  the 
spring,  and  kept  free  from  weeds,  and  never  manured  until 
last  winter,  when  the  ground  was  covered,  and  in  the  spring 
dug  in.  From  the  result  this  season,  manuring  would  seem 
to  pay  well,  as  the  vines  are  in  better  condition  than  they  ever 
were  after  yielding  a heavy  crop. 

The  vines  have  been  trained  to  stakes,  and  the  bearing 
wood  cut  out,  after  having  borne  one  season,  leaving  two 
shoots,  trained  the  same  season,  one  to  form  the  bearing  hoop, 
or  bow,  and  the  other  cut  to  two  eyes,  to  propagate  wood 
for  the  next  year ; the  vine  never  having  but  the  hoop 
and  the  two  eyes  left  for  fruit  each  year,  growing  at  the 
same  time. 

This  year  the  ends  of  the  vines  have  been  nipped,  and  the 
suckers  taken  out  four  different  times. 

The  following  estimate  I have  made  from  what  it  has  cost 
this  year,  and  it  is  not  far  from  the  actual  expense,  although 
the  labor  has  been  done  by  the  hands  doing  the  other  work 
5 


48 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


on  the  farm  ; and  in  making  wine  extra  hands  were  always 
employed.  By  planting  cuttings,  and  preparing  the  ground 
by  subsoil  plowing,  when  it  can  be  done,  the  expense  would 
be  lessened.  The  price  is  what  the  wine  was  sold  at  from 
the  press  this  season,  and  is  a low  estimate. 


ESTIMATE. 

2,300  Vines,  at  6c., $138,00 

2,300  Poles,  at  2c., 46,00 

1,000  “ replaced, 20,00 

Trenching  ground  and  planting, 80,00 

Manuring  last  Fall, 30,00 

Two  months’  work,  each  year,  nine  years,. . . . 225,00 

Extra  work  in  making  wine, 150,00 

Interest  on  investments  before  crop, 15,00 


704,00 

Cr.  by  4,300  gallons  of  wine,  at  75c.  3,229,50 


$2,525,50 

The  expense  of  cultivation,  previous  to  the  first  crop,  is  not 
accounted  for,  nor  are  press,  casks,  etc. ; but  the  actual  ex- 
pense of  cultivating  an  acre  of  grapes,  where  persons  are 
hired  to  attend  to  other  work,  would  amount  to  but  very 
little,  as  but  a short  time  is  required  to  attend  to  clearing  the 
vines  during  the  season. 

Wm.  Resor. 

From  Mr.  Resor’s  statement  it  appears  that  his  father’s 
vineyard  of  2,300  vines,  equivalent  to  about  an  acre  planted 
3 feet  by  6,  cost  him  $284,  to  which  add  labor  for  two  years, 
$50,  and  it  makes  $334 ; or  $34  more  than  the  preceding 
estimate  of  $300  per  acre.  But  Mr.  Resor  used  two  years 
old  vines,  which  cost  about  $125  more  than  cuttings  could 
have  been  bought  for,  which  would  reduce  his  acre,  had  he 
used  cuttings,  to  $209,  when  first  in  bearing. 

It  might  be  fair  to  range  the  cost  of  vineyards,  in  trenched 


COST  OF  ATTENDING  A VINEYARD. 


49 


ground,  at  $200  to  $350  per  acre — depending  on  the  economy 
and  good  management  of  the  proprietor,  and  the  situation  of 
the  vineyard. 

Dr.  Mosher,  one  of  our  most  intelligent  practical  horticul- 
turists, estimates  the  cost  of  trenching  two  feet  deep  at  $80 
to  $125  per  acre,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  ground. 

“ On  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  two  miles  below  our  city,  I 
yesterday  saw  some  Germans  at  work,  trenching,  banking, 
and  walling  one  of  the  most  steep,  rugged,  and  stony  hills  in 
the  county.  To  have  hired  the  work  done  by  the  day,  would 
have  cost  from  $300  to  $400  per  acre.  When  completed,  it 
will  be  a lovely  spot.  The  cost  to  them  is  a trifle,  for  the 
work  is  done  during  the  winter,  when  they  have  no  employ- 
ment. They  raise  their  own  hominy  and  sour-crout.  And  it 
will  not  be  a serious  loss  if  they  occasionally  partake  of  a 
quarter  of  lamb,  as  they  can  buy  it  at  ten  or  twelve  cents 
per  quarter/’  N.  L. 

COST  OF  ATTENDING  A VINEYARD. 

To  the  proprietor  or  the  tenant  who  is  his  own  vine-dresser, 
this  will  be  small,  especially  if  he  has  a family  that  can  assist 
him  ; but  to  those  who  have  to  hire  every  hand,  the  following 
statement  will  be  found  pretty  accurate.  For  a vineyard  of 


six  acres — 

Vine  dresser  per  year,  and  hoard  himself $240 

Hands  to  assist  in  pruning,  say 25 

“ " “ in  spring  culture 40 

“ “ “ in  summer  culture 55 


Or  $60  per  acre,  $360 

If  the  cuttings  can  be  sold  at  $2  to  $2.50  per  thousand,  it 
will  reduce  this  about  $100. 

The  oost  of  replacing  stakes,  repairing  avenues  or 


60 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


benches,  and  manuring  every  third  year,  may  be  offset 
against  the  cuttings. 

Mr.  Yeatman,  who  keeps  an  account  of  his  vineyard  ex- 
penditures, concurs  in  the  accuracy  of  this  estimate. 

COST  OF  MAKING  THE  WINE. 

This  will  again  depend  on  the  force  that  the  family  can 
turn  into  the  vineyard.  But  when  everything  has  to  be  done 
by  hired  labor,  the  writer  can  state  from  experience,  that 
gathering  the  grapes,  and  pressing  them,  and  filling  the  juice 
into  casks,  ready  for  fermentation,  will  cost,  for  an  average 
crop,  $25  to  $30  per  acre. 

Mr.  Longworth  remarks  : — “ The  cultivation  of  the  grape 
for  wine  will  be  profitable  where  persons  do  their  own  work. 

“ It  is  seldom  that  any  farming  pays  well  where  there  is 
much  hiring  of  hands.  Our  German  emigrants  can  cultivate 
the  grape  to  most  profit,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  work  in 
the  vineyard  is  performed  by  their  wives  and  daughters, 
without  interfering  with  household  affairs.  A greater  profit 
would  accrue  to  a man  of  observation  and  skill,  who  would 
devote  much  time  to  the  subject,  be  certain  to  have  clean 
casks,  gather  his  grapes  at  the  proper  moment,  use  great  care 
in  picking,  selecting,  and  pressing,  and  a clean  press,  a cool 
cellar,  care  and  skill  in  the  fermentation,  racking  at  the  proper 
time,  and  always  keeping  the  casks  full,  never  to  bottle  it  till 
four  or  five  years  of  age,  and  never  to  sell  any  wine  with  his 
own  name,  in  seasons  when  the  wine  is  not  of  the  best  quality.” 

PROBABLE  PRODUCT  PER  ACRE. 

This  of  course  will  vary  with  the  season,  and  with  the 
number  of  vines  to  the  acre. 

At  the  distance  of  3 by  6 ft.  2,420  vines  are  planted  in  an 
acre.  They  will  yield,  in  fair  seasons,  300  to  400  gallons  ; in 
very  good  years  more.  A probable  average,  for  eight  or  ten 
years,  with  but  little  rot,  would  be  about  250  gallons  — and 


PRODUCT  PER  ACRE. 


61 


with  a reasonable  allowance  for  rot,  frosts,  &c.,  200  gallons 
might  be  expected  as  a fair  product  per  acre  for  a series  of 
years.  This  is  also  Mr.  Longworth’s  opinion.  But  even 
then,  bad  seasons  must  not  be  too  frequent,  or  the  average 
will  be  still  further  reduced.  In  the  report  of  Dr.  Flagg, 
May  1846,  he  makes  the  yield  per  acre,  for  1845,  about  200 
gallons,  and  the  vineyards  suffered  much  from  frost  and  the 
rot  that  year. 

The  Doctor  says  : — “ There  are  in  this  county  eighty-three 
rineyards,  containing  247f  acres  ; 114  being  in  bearing,  from 
which  23,219  gallons  of  wine  were  made  last  year.  Many  of 
the  vineyards  bore  for  the  first  time  last  year,  and  more  than 
one-half  of  the  crop  was  cut  off  by  the  frost  and  rot.”  The 
Doctor  estimated  the  crop  for  five  years  in  succession,  with 
proper  care  and  attention,  at  400  to  500  gallons  per  acre  — 
but  this  is  entirely  too  large. 

In  Mr.  Resor’s  statistics,  it  will  be  observed  that  in  nine 
successive  years,  after  his  father’s  vineyard  commenced 
bearing,  viz  : from  1837  to  1845  inclusive,  it  produced,  equi- 
valent to  about  480  gallons  to  the  acre,  each  year.  This 
vineyard,  however,  was  small,  very  favorably  situated,  and 
under  the  supervision  of  a judicious  and  careful  proprietor, 
ind  the  product  should  by  no  means  be  assumed  as  a general 
average  for  the  county. 

Mr.  Yeatman  fixes  the  quantity  higher,  but  judges  from 
his  own  vineyard,  which  occupies  a fine  position,  is  carefully 
attended,  and  contains  a little  over  3,000  vines  to  the  acre. 
The  number  of  vines  to  the  acre  is  generally  about  2,400. 

A bushel  of  grapes  on  the  stem  will  yield  three  to  three 
and  a half  gallons  of  juice — some  have  produced  four — 
but  this  is  rare.  In  measuring,  the  bushel  is  “ heaped,”  or 
liberally  rounded  on  the  top,  not  strict  measure. 

Paper  calculations  of  profits  are  often  deceptive,  and  some- 
times mislead  those  who  are  not  accustomed  to  act  from  their 


LIBRARY 


62  CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 

own  judgment ; but  for  the  sake  of  condensing  the  foregoing 
estimates,  the  following  is  given  as  a 


RECAPITULATION. 

Cost  of  a vineyard  per  acre,  say  $250,  interest  per  annum $15,00 

Cost  of  attending  per  acre, 60,00 

Cost  of  making  the  wine, 25,00 

$100,00 


Supposed  profit  per  acre $100,00 


But  should  the  wine  bring  only  75  cts.  per  gallon,  it  would 
still  leave  a profit  of  $50  per  acre,  which  is  large  enough, 
and  more  likely  to  be  the  sum  realized  throughout  the 
county. 

It  will  be  observed  that  no  allowance  is  made,  in  the  above 
calculations,  for  interest  on  the  cost  of  the  press,  or  the  ves- 
sels and  casks  used  in  making  and  fermenting  the  wine. 
The  press  will  cost  $60  to  $150,  and  express  160  to  300  gal- 
lons per  day;  the  vessels  $10  to  $15  ; and  the  casks,  four 
to  eight  cents  per  gallon,  as  to  size  and  quality.  The 
other  estimates,  however,  are  made  liberal  enough  to  cover 
all  this.  The  loss  in  quantity  in  making  the  wine,  by  fer- 
mentation, lees  in  racking,  and  by  evaporation,  will  be  about 
ten  per  cent. 

Since  the  first  edition  of  this  treatise,  the  author  has  had 
two  years’  more  experience  in  grape  culture,  and  is  there- 
fore induced  to  give  an  account  of  his  own  vineyard,  from  its 
commencement,  in  the  following 

MEMORANDA. 

1 843.  Planted  500  vines,  two  year  old  Catawba , and  a few 
Lenoir , Cape,  and  Isabella , in  plowed  ground  at  the  foot  of  the 
orchard,  on  the  slope  of  a hill  facing  the  south,  intended  only 


-MEMORANDA. 


53 


for  table  use.  Soil , a reddish  yellow  loam,  with  the  usual 
quantity  of  lime,  and  an  appearance  of  iron  — not  nek,  but 
easily  mellowed  by  cultivation — the  same  composition  for  four 
or  five  feet  deep. 

1844.  Having  failed  to  make  clover  and  timothy  take 
root,  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  below  the  little  vineyard  ; 
plowed  with  the  common  and  subsoil  plow,  two  acres, 
eighteen  inches  deep,  and  planted  in  Catawbas,  and  a few 
Isabellas , one  year  old  roots,  three  feet  by  six  in  the  rows. 

Gathered  a few  bunches  of  grapes  from  the  small  vine- 
yard. 

1 845.  Dissatisfied  with  subsoil  planting,  and  in  the  winter 
had  an  acre  trenched  two  feet  deep  with  the  spade  — the 
“Irish  plow”  — and  planted  with  cuttings,  two  to  each 
stick  — only  lost  about  ten  per  cent,  by  failing  to  strike  root. 
Gathered  a good  crop  of  grapes  from  the  little  vineyard,  though 
a bad  year  for  the  rot. 

1846.  Trenched  two  acres  more,  two  feet  deep,  and 
planted  in  Catawba  cuttings,  with  a few  Cape  and  Isabella. 
Gathered  a good  crop  of  grapes  from  the  small  vineyard,  but 
observed  the  roots  of  the  vines  to  be  too  near  the  surface, 
and  the  foliage  to  suffer  from  the  hot  sun.  This  was  the  re- 
sult of  shallow  planting.  In  autumn  trenched  the  ground 
two  feet  deep  between  the  wide  (six  feet)  rows.  Lost,  this 
year,  about  twelve  per  cent,  of  the  cuttings  planted. 

1847.  Trenched  an  acre  more,  and  planted  in  cuttings — 
lost  only  nine  or  ten  per  cent,  of  this  planting.  Gathered  a 
fair  crop  from  the  small,  and  a few  bunches  from  the  large 
vineyard  (first  two  acres) — and  sold  the  grapes,  after  a liberal 
supply  to  the  family  and  neighbors,  for  near  $100. 

The  vines  were  not  injured  by  the  partial  root  pruning  in 
trenching  between  the  rows  in  the  small  vineyard. 

In  autumn  and  winter,  trenched  two  feet  deep  between  the 
wide  rows  in  the  two  acres  subsoiled. 


64 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


1848.  Gathered  a fair  crop  from  the  first  two  acres,  and 
a few  bunches  from  the  second  acre  — made  530  gallons  of 
wine,  which  sold,  after  the  second  fermentation,  at  $1,25  per 
gallon — lost  by  lees,  evaporation,  etc.,  about  fifty  gallons. 

1849.  A bad  year  for  rot,  but  got  a tolerably  fair  crop 
from  three  acres  in  bearing,  and  a light  one  from  two  acres 
first  commencing  to  bear.  Made  860  gallons  of  Catawba,  and 
75  of  Isabella  wine.  The  Catawba  was  sold,  in  1851,  at  $1,25 
per  gallon — loss  in  making,  ten  per  cent.  The  Isabella  un- 
sold. 

1850.  This  was  a good  year  for  the  grape  crop,  and  but 
little  rot.  Made  from  three  acres,  fair  crop,  and  three  partial, 
equal  to  three  and  a half  acres  in  full  bearing,  1,638  gallons 
of  wine.  1,200  good  Catawba,  288  inferior — 75  Cape  and 
75  Isabella.  Sold  400  gallons  of  Catawba  at  80  cents  — 288 
inferior  at  50  cents  per  gallon,  soon  after  the  first  fermen- 
tation. 

The  remainder  will  be  ready  for  market  this  summer  at 
$1,25  per  gallon. 

Trenched  a quarter  of  an  acre  of  waste  ground  to  add  to 
the  vineyard. 

1851.  Planted  in  the  addition,  part  cuttings,  part  roots  one 
year  old.  A frost,  on  the  second  of  May,  destroyed  two-thirds 
of  the  grape  buds,  and  all  the  orchard  fruits.  No  rot  this 
year — grapes  about  one-third  of  a crop,  but  of  a finer  quality, 
and  richer  in  saccharine  matter  than  ever  grown  here  before. 
Lost  about  twelve  per  cent,  of  the  young  roots  planted,  and 
twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  cuttings,  owing  to  the  drought, 
which  was  more  severe  during  last  summer  and  autumn,  than 
known  in  this  climate  for  many  years.  Lost  sixty  per  cent, 
of  the  cuttings  in  the  nursery. 

Made  630  gallons  of  Catawba  wine,  and  seventy-five  of 
Cape  — quality  very  fine.  Will  not  be  ready  for  market 
under  two  years. 


SALE  OF  THE  WINE. 


65 


1847. 

1848. 

1849. 

1850. 

1851. 

1852. 


CUTTINGS  SOLD  AND  PLANTED. 


Sold  10,000  at 

$3,00  per  1,000. 

Planted  in 

Nursery 

3,000 

" 20,000  “ 

2,50  “ “ 

44  tt 

“ 

3,550 

“ 25,000  “ 

“ “ “ 

“ U 

44 

2,000 

" 33,000  “ 

a a €i 

44  44 

44 

1,500 

“ 36,000  " 

K> 

O 

o 

44  4t 

44 

3,000 

" 47,000  “ 

44  n a 

To  plant  in 

l “ 

3,500 

This  vineyard  of  six  acres  should  produce,  on  an  average, 
for  a series  of  years,  1,800  to  2,000  gallons  of  wine,  when  in 
full  bearing,  which  usually  commences  with  the  sixth  or 

seventh  year. 

SALE  OF  THE  WINE. 

Here  the  cultivator  is  at  a loss,  and  will  be,  until  wine- 
houses  are  established  in  the  city,  for  the  express  purpose  of 
purchasing  the  product  of  our  vineyards,  and  preparing  it 
for  market,  for  consumption  at  home,  and  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Longworth  justly  observes,  that  “ those  who  com- 
mence this  business,  and  conduct  it  properly,  will  make  for- 
tunes by  it.  For  that  the  grape  culture  will  eventually 
succeed  and  be  profitable,  and  the  wine  gradually  grow  into 
public  favor,  there  can  no  longer  be  a doubt. 

“ Thus  far  our  wine  has  met  with  a ready  sale  in  our  own 
city,  but  with  the  contemplated  extension  of  the  grape  cul- 
ture in  this  vicinity,  we  shall  soon  be  compelled  to  look  abroad 
for  a market.” 

Suitable  cellars  are  required  for  the  purpose,  and  in  this 
Mr.  Longworth,  Mr.  Yeatman,  Mr.  Rehfuss,  and  some  others, 
have  set  laudable  examples.  Their  cellars  are  large,  deep,  and 
admirably  adapted  to  keep  and  ripen  the  wine.  This  is  the  im- 
portant matter  with  light  wines  ; care  and  a cool  cellar  are 
required,  until  they  are  sufficiently  ripened  to  prevent  acidity 
by  exposure  to  the  air.  Every  analysis  made,  proves  our  na- 
tive wine  to  be  three  to  four  per  cent,  stronger  than  the  same 
class  of  foreign  importation. 

**  Before  the  cultivation  of  the  vine  can  be  carried  on  exten- 


66 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


sively  and  profitably,  we  must  have  a sure  market  for  the 
wine  as  it  comes  from  the  press  ; so  that  vine-dressers  can 
sell  their  wine  as  readily  as  the  farmer  his  wheat.  At  pre- 
sent it  is  mostly  sold  to  our  German  population  at  fair 
prices.  Many,  who  are  commencing  vineyards,  without  any 
knowledge  on  the  subject,  depending  entirely  upon  others  for 
their  success,  may  have  cause  to  regret  it  when  too  late.  In 
commencing  the  cultivation  of  the  vine,  persons  should  con- 
sider the  absolute  necessity  of  a certain  market  for  the  wine 
as  it  comes  from  the  press,  and  also  of  producing  a quality  of 
wine  that  will  repay  for  four  or  five  years  of  anxious  labor  and 
great  expense.  I began  the  investigation  of  the  subject  of  mak- 
ing American  wine  twelve  years  since  ; and,  after  having  satis- 
fied myself  of  its  practicability,  my  great  anxiety  has  been  to 
secure  a ready  market  for  the  wine.  The  farmer  who  grows 
wheat,  must  live  where  he  can  readily  send  it  to  market,  if 
he  expects  to  realize  a fair  compensation  ; so  the  cultivators 
of  the  vine  must  depend  upon  the  wine-merchant  to  purchase 
their  wine.  It  is  as  much  the  business  of  the  latter  to  pre- 
pare it  for  market,  as  it  is  for  the  miller  to  grind  the  wheat. 
The  cultivation  of  the  vine,  with  its  entire  management,  until 
he  turns  out  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape,  belongs  to  the  vine- 
dresser, and  the  mixing  and  preparing  it  for  market  to  the 
wine-merchant,  the  latter  being  a distinct  and  separate  busi- 
ness.’ * — Dr.  Flagg’s  Report. 

In  a Report  to  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society,  Mr. 
Longworth,  in  1846,  says : “In  the  hope  of  inciting  other 
Germans  ‘ to  go  and  do  likewise,’  I will  state  the  result  of 
one  of  my  vineyards  this  season.  Sixteen  years  since  I 
bought  an  unusually  broken  piece  of  ground  on  Baldface 
creek,  four  miles  from  the  city.  The  soil  is  rich,  but  abounds 
in  stone.  I had  a tenant  on  it  four  years,  who  was  bound  to 
plant  a vineyard.  At  the  end  of  four  years  nothing  was 
done.  I tried  a second,  and  after  three  years,  found  no 
grapes.  I then  gave  a contract  to  a German  (Mr.  Dufer 


SALE  OF  THE  WINE. 


57 


ber),  who  had  a wife,  daughter,  and  three  stout  boys.  I 
gave  him  a hard  bargain.  I required  him  to  trench  and  wall 
with  stone,  six  acres  for  grapes,  in  three  years,  and  nine  acres 
in  five  years.  He  was  also  to  plant  out  a peach  orchard,  and 
tend  an  apple  orchard  I had  on  the  place.  The  wine  and 
proceeds  of  the  orchards  were  to  be  equally  divided.  I care- 
fully avoided  climbing  the  stony  hill  for  three  years,  expect- 
ing the  same  result  as  formerly.  When  I visited  the  hill,  at 
the  end  of  three  years,  I found  the  six  acres  handsomely 
trenched  and  walled,  and  set  with  grapes.  There  are  now 
nine  acres  in  grapes.  The  tenant  complained,  this  year,  of 
the  rot  in  his  vineyard.  I am  in  the  habit  of  selling  to  the 
tenants,  my  share  of  the  vintage,  at  a price  that  enables  them 
to  sell  at  a profit.  I this  season  sold  at  seventy-five  cents  per 
gallon  at  the  press,  for  the  Catawba  ; sixty -two  and  a half 
cents  for  the  Cape,  and  fifty  cents  for  the  small  amount  of 
Isabella  made.  He  has  paid  me  $661  for  my  share  of  the 
wine  ; and  for  his  share,  and  the  profit  on  my  part,  has  real- 
ized the  sum  of  $1,392,50.  The  Catawba  he  sold  at  $1,25 
per  gallon. 

“ The  best  crop,  for  the  extent  of  ground,  this  season,  was 
at  the  vineyard  of  Mr.  Rentz,  about  four  miles  from  town. 
Two  acres  yielded  1,300  gallons.  This  is  as  large  a yield 
as  I have  known,  taking  two  acres  together.  To  select 
particular  spots,  I have  raised  at  the  rate  of  1,470  gal- 
lons to  the  acre.  The  grapes  at  the  vineyard  of  Mr.  Rentz 
would  have  ripened  better,  had  one-third  of  the  bunches 
been  cut  off  early  in  the  season.  Where  the  crop  is  very 
abundant,  it  requires  a very  favorable  season  to  ripen  the 
fruit  well. 

“ Six  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  to  the  acre,  is  a large  yield, 
and  the  season  must  be  favorable,  or  they  will  not  ripen  well. 
A large  crop  is  often  occasioned  by  leaving  too  much  bearing 
wood.  This  should  always  be  avoided  ; for  even  if  the  crop 
ripens  thoroughly,  too  much  of  the  sap  is  taken  by  the  fruit 


58 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


and  too  little  left  to  produce  good  young  wood  for  the  next 
season’s  crop. 

“ This  season  I have  retained  a part  of  my  share  of  the 
wine,  that  I deemed  the  best,  and  have  also  bought  a portion 
of  the  same  quality,  from  the  tenants,  at  an  advanced  price. 
A part  of  it  is  fermented,  with  a view  of  bottling  it  for  Cham- 
pagne wine.  The  residue  will  undergo  a full  fermentation, 
and  I shall  bottle  it  when  two  years  old,  pure  as  when  it  came 
from  the  press  ; when  it  will  be  of  the  character  of  dry  old 
Hock.  Heretofore,  all  the  wine  made  at  my  vineyards,  has 
been  sold  at  our  German  coffee-houses,  and  drank  in  our  city. 
That  which  I have  retained  this  season,  is  intended  to  be  sent 
abroad,  in  the  hope  that  it  may  lead  persons  in  other  sections 
of  the  country,  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
grape  for  wine.” 

WINE  CELLARS  AND  HOUSES. 

Within  the  last  two  years,  and  since  the  foregoing  was  pub- 
lished, the  interest  of  the  producer  has  been  greatly  advanced, 
by  the  construction  of  large  wine  cellars  in  Cincinnati ; and 
the  establishment  of  regular  wine-houses,  conducted  by  deal- 
ers of  ample  capital.  This  will  insure  a fair  market  for  the 
product  of  our  vineyards,  and  presents  a flattering  prospect  in 
future  for  the  cultivator.  Mr.  Longworth  has  two  wine  cel- 
lars, and  is  interested  in  a third.  His  capital  invested  in  this 
business  is  over  $100,000.  Last  year  75,000  bottles  of 
sparkling  Catawba  were  prepared  at  his  cellars — the  year  pre- 
vious 60,000 — (this  last  is  now  ready  for  sale).  During  the 
coming  season,  he  expects  to  have  100,000  bottles  prepared. 
The  sparkling  wines  require  fifteen  to  twenty  months  to  ripen, 
before  being  ready  for  market.  He  has  also  dry  and  sweet 
wines  bottled  at  his  cellars. 

G.  and  P.  Bogen  bottled  last  year  26,000,  and  expect  to 
put  up  35,000  bottles,  this  year,  of  sparkling  Catawba. 
Zimmerman  4 Co.  intend  to  put  up  60.000  to  80,000 


WINE  CELLARS  AND  HOUSES. 


59 


bottles  of  still  wine  this  year,  and  to  give  their  entire  attention 
to  that  class  of  wines. 

Corneau  & Sons  prepare  both  sparkling  and  still  wines ; 
their  sales,  last  year,  amounted  to  over  10,000  bottles,  and 
their  business  is  rapidly  on  the  increase. 

Dr.  L.  Rehfuss  has  an  excellent  cellar,  and  is  preparing 
still  wines  with  great  care,  principally  from  his  own  vine- 
yards. 

T.  H.  Yeatman  is  arranging  to  make  sparkling  wines.  He 
has,  heretofore,  only  made  still  wines. 

Mr.  Miller,  near  the  city,  also  makes  sparkling  Catawba. 

It  is  encouraging  to  the  producer  as  well  as  the  wine  mer- 
chant to  know,  that  the  demand  for  their  wines,  particularly 
the  sparkling  Catawba,  has  lately  increased  beyond  all  calcu- 
lations ; they  can  scarcely  be  prepared  fast  enough  to  meet 
the  market.  There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  consump- 
tion will  diminish,  for  the  wines  become  popular  wherever 
they  are  introduced.  And  yet,  we  are  but  just  beginning  to 
learn  how  to  make  them.  This  looks  well  for  the  future. 

NUMBER  OF  ACRES  IN  CULTIVATION. 

Some  two  years  ago,  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society 
appointed  a committee,  of  which  Dr.  Mosher  is  chairman,  to 
take  a statistical  account  of  the  vineyards  in  this  vicinity. 
The  report  is  not  yet  completed,  but  the  following  estimate  of 
the  aggregate  has  been  furnished,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
nearly  accurate,  viz  : Number  of  acres  in  vineyard  culture 

within  a circle  of  twenty  miles  around  Cincinnati,  1,200 — un- 
der charge  of  295  proprietors  and  tenants.  Of  this,  Mr. 
Longworth  owns  122J  acres,  cultivated  by  twenty-seven 
tenants. 

At  the  low  estimate  of  $200  per  acre,  for  cost  of  planting, 
etc.,  this  would  amount  to  $240,000 — exclusive  of  the  value 
of  the  land  ; and  when  in  full  bearing,  produce,  at  the  most 
moderate  estimate,  for  a series  of  years  (of  200  gallons  to  thQ 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


*60 


acre),  240,000  gallons  of  wine  annually ; but  in  good  sea* 
sons  much  more. 

The  number  of  acres  now  in  bearing  is  a little  over  740. 
The  average  distance  apart  in  the  rows,  is  three  by  six  feet, 
making  2,400  plants  to  the  acre. 

(See  Appendix  for  the  Report  of  the  President  of  the 
Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society  to  the  Legislature  of  Ohio, 
on  this  subject). 

The  average  product  to  the  acre,  in  1848,  was  about  300 
gallons,  from  near  280  acres  then  in  bearing,  and  in  1849 
(the  worst  year  for  rot  that  has  yet  been  known),  about  100 
gallons  to  the  acre,  from  some  360  acres.  New  vineyards 
produced  200  to  250  gallons — but  the  old  only  50  to  100; 
and  the  crops  of  a few  were  entirely  destroyed  by  the  rot. 

Mr.  A.  Liggett,  of  Ripley,  Ohio,  has  obligingly  furnished 
the  statistics  of  the  vineyards  in  that  neighborhood.  There 
are  ninety-three  acres  planted,  and  sixteen  proprietors  ; about 
one-half  the  vines  in  bearing.  The  distance  apart  in  the 
rows,  three  by  six  feet — the  quantity  of  wine  made  in  1848 
and  1849,  about  the  same  to  the  acre  as  in  this  vicinity,  and 
the  rot  equally  destructive. 

VINEYARD  CULTURE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  vegetable  productions  of  North  America  were  a source 
of  wonder  to  the  early  adventurers  to  its  shores,  and  the  grape- 
vine appears  to  have  especially  attracted  their  attention.  Let- 
ters to  Europe  from  this  part  of  the  world  gave  glowing  ac- 
counts of  the  wild  grapes  found  in  Florida,  Louisiana,  and 
Virginia. 

Redding  says,  a considerable  quantity  of  wine  was  pro- 
duced from  a native  grape  in  Florida,  as  far  back  as  1564, 
according  to  the  testimony  of  Sir  John  Hawkins.  Wine  was 
also  made  at  a very  early  period  in  Louisiana. 

The  more  recent  attempts  at  wine-making,  from  vineyard 
culture,  commenced,  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  cen- 


VINEYARD  CULTURE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES.  61 


tury,  at  Gallipolis,  in  our  own  state ; Philadelphia,  Harmony, 
and  York,  Pa.;  Glasgow,  and  Lexington,  Ky. ; Monticello, 
Va. ; Baltimore,  Md.  ; and  New  Harmony  and  Vevay,  la. 
Subsequently  efforts  were  made  *to  establish  vineyards  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York,  District  of  Columbia,  Demopolis,  Ala., 
and  in  North  arid  South  Carolina.  These  generally  failed, 
from  planting  foreign  grape-vines  unsuited  to  our  soil  and 
climate. 

A few  of  the  cultivators  had  the  sagacity  to  discover  this 
error,  and  substituted  the  best  native  varieties. 

Major  Adlum,  Mr.  Longworth,  the  Swiss  at  Vevay , and 
some  gentlemen  in  Carolina  were  the  first  to  adopt  this  course. 
The  Cape,  Catawba , and  Isabella  at  the  North,  and  the  Scup- 
pernong  at  the  South,  took  the  place  of  the  vines  from  Europe, 
and  wine  was  made,  but  of  an  inferior  quality.  It  is  only  of 
late  years  that  American  Wines  have  had  any  pretensions  to 
come  in  competition  with  European,  and  to  Mr.  Longworth, 
more  than  to  any  other  man,  belongs  the  honor  of  having 
produced  this  result. 

The  Ohio  river  is  already  called  the  “ Rhine  of  America,’* 
and  Cincinnati  the  center  of  the  grape  region  in  this  valley. 
Within  twenty  miles  around  the  city,  more  than  1200  acres 
are  planted  in  vineyards  — at  Ripley  and  Maysville  above,, 
about  100  acres — at  Vevay,  Charleston,  and  Louisville  below, 
over  250  acres  are  in  vine  culture  ; — making  1,550  acres  for 
the  Ohio  valley  alone,  which  is  a low  estimate. 

At  Hermann,  Mo.,  about  forty  or  fifty  acres  are  in  vine- 
yards ; and  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  and  some  other 
parts  of  the  State,  probably  twenty  or  thirty  acres  more  ; a 
few  at  Belleville,  111.,  and  elsewhere  in  that  State.  Near  Bead- 
ing, Pa.,  several  vineyards  are  planted  and  some  excellent 
wines  made.  In  North  and  South  Carolina,  the  Scuppernong 
wines  have  been  made  for  many  years,  but  the  number  of 
acres  in  grape  culture  is  to  the  writer  unknown.  A few  vine- 
yards are  in  cultivation  in  the  vicinity  of  New  YorJc  and  Phila - 


62 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


delphia — and  Burlington , New  Jersey ; but  more  with  a view 
to  supply  the  market  with  grapes,  than  to  make  wine.  Efforts 
have  been  made  in  the  interior  of  Kentucky,  in  Tennessee,  in 
western  New  York,  and  on  the  southern  shore  and  islands  of 
Lake  Erie,  to  cultivate  the  vine  for  making  wine,  but  sufficient 
time  has  not  yet  elapsed  for  a fair  trial.  In  the  Appendix 
will  be  found  a letter  from  Mr.  A.  H.  Wagner,  on  Vine  Culture 
in  Canada  West.  In  a hasty  sketch  like  this,  it  is  merely 
intended  to  give  a glance  at  the  subject,  and  invite  public 
attention  to  what  must  ere  long  be  a source  of  great  national 
wealth. 

The  following  extract  is  taken  from  a highly  interesting 
address  delivered  before  the  Medical  Library  Association  of 
this  city,  Jan.  9th,  1852,  by  Dr.  Daniel  Drake,  “ On  the  early 
Physicians,  Scenery,  and  Society  of  Cincinnati.’ * 

“ Third  street,  running  near  the  brow  of  the  upper  plain, 
was  on  as  high  a level  as  Fifth  street  is  now.  The  gravelly 
slope  of  that  plain  stretched  from  east  to  west  almost  to  Pearl 
street.  On  this  slope,  between  Main  and  Walnut,  a French 
political  exile — M.  Mennessiur — planted,  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  last  century,  a small  vineyard.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  that  cultivation  for  which  the  environs  of  our  city  have  at 
length  become  so  distinguished.  I suppose  this  was  the  first 
cultivation  of  the  foreign  grape  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio.” 

The  celebrated  traveler  Volney,  on  a visit  to  the  French 
settlers  at  Gallipolis,  Ohio,  in  July,  1796,  tasted  wine  made 
there  from  a red  grape,  found  on  the  islands  in  the  Ohio  river 
and  planted  in  a small  vineyard.  “ This  wine  differed  but 
little  in  quality  from  that  made  from  the  small  black  grape 
found  in  the  woods  on  shore.”  The  red  grape  was  supposed 
to  be  “ a foreign  variety  brought  overby  the  French  to  Fort 
Du  Quesne but  it  was  doubtless  the  Red  Fox  grape,  familiar 
to  most  of  us  in  the  west.  Wine  has  occasionally  been  made, 
in  different  parts  of  the  Union,  in  years  past,  from  native  grapes 
collected  in  the  forests,  but  neither  the  quality  of  the  wine, 


AMERICAN  GRAPES. 


63 


nor  the  prices  obtained  for  it,  offered  sufficient  inducements 
to  persevere. 

Dufour  says : “ In  my  journeying  down  the  Ohio  in  1799, 
I found  at  Marietta  a Frenchman,  who  was  making  several 
barrels  of  wine  every  year,  out  of  grapes  that  were  found 
growing  wild  and  abundantly  on  the  heads  of  the  islands  in 
the  Ohio  river,  called  sand  grapes.  I tasted  some  of  the  wine 
when  four  months  old,  and  found  it  equal  to  that  produced 
near  Paris,  if  not  better.”  The  French,  on  the  borders  of  the 
Ohio,  thought  the  grape  was  of  French  origin,  but  Mr.  Du- 
four subsequently  found  it  growing  wild  in  Kentucky  and 
elsewhere.  It  was  probably  the  Red  Fox  grape,  varieties  of 
which  we  now  have  in  our  vineyards  under  the  name  of  the 
“Venango,”  “ Minor’s  Seedling,”  etc. 

Dufour  remarks : “ None  of  the  different  and  numerous 
trials  which  were  made  in  several  parts  of  the  United  States, 
that  I visited  in  1796,  were  found  worth  the  name  of  vine- 
yards.” “I  went  to  eee  all  the  vines  growing  that  I could 
hear  of,  even  as  far  as  Kaskaskia  on  the  Mississippi,  where  I 
was  informed,  the  Jesuits  had  planted  a vineyard  shortly  after 
the  first  settlement  of  the  country,  but  that  the  French  gov- 
ernment had  ordered  it  to  be  destroyed,  for  fear  that  vine  cul- 
ture might  spread  in  America  and  hurt  the  wine-trade  of 
France.” 

“ I found  only  the  spot  where  that  vineyard  had  been 
planted,  in  a well-selected  place,  on  the  side  of  a hill,  to  the 
north-east  of  the  town,  under  a cliff.  No  good  grapes  were 
found  there  or  in  any  gardens  of  the  country.” 

AMERICAN  GRAPES. 

Mr.  W.  R.  Prince,  in  his  Treatise  on  the  Vine — New  York, 
1830;  enumerates  eighty-eight  varieties  of  American  grapes, 
many  of  them  supposed  to  be  valuable  for  making  wine. 

The  experiments  of  western  cultivators  have  been  confined 
to  but  a small  portion  of  that  number,  and  their  final  selec- 
6. 


64 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


tions  for  vineyard  culture  are  reduced  to  the  Catawba,  Cape, 
Herbemont,  Isabella,  and  Missouri,  ranking  in  value  in  the 
order  here  named.  For  profit,  the  writer  can  only  recom- 
mend the  Catawba  and  the  Cape  ; one-eighth  or  tenth  of  the 
latter  variety,  would  be  enough.  The  other  kinds  may  do 
for  experiments  until  their  merits  are  better  known. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  other  native  varieties  may 
prove  to  be  valuable  for  wine,  when  fairly  tested,  or  that  new 
ones,  equally  good,  may  hereafter  be  produced  from  seeds. 

Of  the  two  recommended  above,  the  Catawba  is  much  the 
most  productive  ; but  the  Cape  is  less  subject  to  rot.  Both 
make  good  wines. 

Great  hopes  are  entertained  that  valuable  varieties  of  grapes 
may  be  obtained  from  our  newly-acquired  territories  of  Texas 
and  California.  Thus  far,  none  brought  here  from  Texas, 
have  proved  to  be  good.  California  grapes  are  yet  untried 
by  us. 

The  following  is  the  extract  from  Mr.  Prince,  referred  to 
above  : — 

“ The  varieties  of  vines  which  properly  come  under  this 
head,  may  be  divided  into  several  classes,  arising  from  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  their  origin,  viz  : 

Vines  of  original  native  species. 

Varieties  of  original  native  species. 

Varieties  obtained  by  admixture  of  native  species. 

Varieties  obtained  from  seeds  of  exotic  grapes. 

Varieties  obtained  by  admixture  of  foreign  and  native 
varieties. 

Although  some  of  these  classes  are  already  numerous, 
others  are  yet  very  limited,  and  from  the  short  period  of  time 
that  has  elapsed,  since  the  public  attention  and  that  of  intel- 
ligent connoisseurs,  has  been  particularly  drawn  to  the  sub- 
ject, in  such  a manner  as  to  elucidate  the  various  points,  and 
to  obtain  precise  information,  it  is  yet  impossible  to  form  a 


ANALYSIS  OF  SOILS. 


65 


definite  arrangement  of  all  our  varieties.  The  perfection  of 
this  desirable  object  must  therefore  remain  for  future  labors ; 
but  it  is  to  be  hoped,  an  end  so  desirable  will  not  be  lost  sight 
of  by  the  amateurs  of  the  vine  throughout  our  country,  and 
that  each  will,  by  developing  the  various  points  which  fall 
within  his  notice,  contribute  his  mite  toward  a perfect  arrange- 
ment of  the  various  classes,  a precise  nomenclature,  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  peculiar  qualities  of  the  respective  kinds. ” 

ANALYSIS  OF  SOILS. 

A publication  under  this  head,  in  the  first  edition,  is  omitted 
in  the  present,  doubts  having  been  expressed  of  its  accuracy. 

The  article  was  taken  from  the  minutes  of  the  Cincinnati  Hor- 
ticultural Society,  and  the  analysis  made  by  Charles  Whit- 
tlesey and  A.  Randall,  for  the  State  Agricultural  Society. 

The  following  specimen  is  given,  that  those  who  choose 
may  criticise  it — and  the  soil  is  much  like  that  on  which  the 
writer’s  vineyard  is  planted. 

“ No.  2.”  From  land  worn  down  by  twenty-five  years’ 


cropping. 

Oxide  of  iron, 0.31 

Carbonate  of  lime, 3.91 

Vegetable  matter, 3.10 

Earthy  residue, 90.31 

Water, 1.37 


1.00 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  remark,  that  old  lands,  or  such 
as  have  been  under  tillage  for  some  years,  are  better  suited 
to  vineyard  culture  than  newy  the  grapes  being  less  subject 
to  the  “ rot.” 

FINING  WINES. 

In  this  branch  of  the  business,  the  writer  has  had  but  little 
experience,  and  therefore  gives  the  opinion  of  others,  in  pre- 
ference to  his  own. 


66 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


It  is  difficult  to  fine  new  wines,  so  as  to  keep  them  per- 
fectly bright  after  being  bottled,  for  even  a few  months.  The 
“insensible”  or  imperceptible  fermentation  constantly  going 
on  in  wines,  will  deposit  more  or  less  sediment  in  the  bottles 
after  all  the  care  that  can  be  bestowed  in  fining.  This  is  the 
case  with  all  wines,  the  heavy  more  than  the  light.  The 
latter,  such  as  Hock  and  Catawba,  deposit  less  sediment  than 
Madeira  or  sherry,  of  the  same  age.  All  have  to  be  decanted 
carefully,  or  drawn  off  with  a syphon,  after  standing  the 
bottle  on  the  end,  for  a day  or  two.  The  author  has  tried 
some  of  the  finest  varieties  of  each  kind,  and  finds  invariably 
this  result.  He  has  now  a bottle  of  Catawba  wine,  from  the 
vineyard  of  the  late  Jacob  Resor  ; vintage  of  1 837,  which, 
though  well  fined  at  first,  and  quite  sound  now,  is  turbid 
when  shaken,  and  will  have  to  be  drawn  off  with  a syphon. 
His  own  wine,  and  that  of  others,  only  bottled  a year  ago,  i? 
in  the  same  state.  Frequent  rackings  might  in  some  measure 
overcome  this  difficulty,  was  it  not  feared  that  the  exposure 
to  the  air,  would  make  the  wine  too  acid.  The  American 
palate  rejects  anything  like  harshness  in  wines  ; strength  and 
astringency  it  can  stand,  but  not  acidity. 

Redding  and  other  writers,  have  many  recipes  for  fining 
European  wines,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred.  The  follow- 
ing extract  is  from  the  valuable  work  on  grape  culture  and 
wine-making,  by  the  late  John  James  Dufour,  of  Vevay, 
Ind.  ; published  in  Cincinnati,  1826.  It  is  given  in  prefer- 
ence to  others,  because  it  is  a western  production,  and  treats 
of  American  wines.  Mr.  Dufour,  was  an  intelligent  and 
practical  vine-dresser,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  enterprise  in 
the  United  States,  and  one  of  the  first  who  brought  it  to  a 
successful  issue  in  the  Ohio  Valley.  He  settled,  with  other 
emigrants  from  Switzerland,  at  Vevay,  in  1805,  and  cultivated 
the  vine  for  many  years.  This  was  before  the  Catawba  grape 
was  brought  into  notice.  The  Cape  grape,  planted  in  bottom 
lands  (which  was  an  error),  did  not  pay  well,  and  the  wine 


FINING  WINES. 


67 


business  was  abandoned.*  Still,  the  vine-growers  owe  to  Mr. 
Dufour  and  his  associates,  a debt  of  gratitude,  which  should 
not  be  forgotten. 

“Artificial  fining  of  wine  is  performed  in  different  ways, 
but  I shall  mention  only  the  three  methods  I have  made  use 
of  myself,  which  I think  are  the  best,  and  sufficient  to  answer 
all  purposes.  I have  always  considered  that  the  white  of  eggs 
is  the  best  ingredient  to  clarify  wine,  and  the  easiest  procured ; 
one  egg  to  every  six  or  ten  gallons,  according  to  the  quantity 
of  matter  to  be  precipitated  from  the  wine  ; the  eggs  are  first 
beat  until  the  ropiness  is  subdued,  and  then  being  put  into  a 
tub,  wine  is  drawn  on  them  by  a spile-hole  from  the  cask 
which  is  to  be  fined ; and  while  the  wine  is  running,  the  eggs 
are  in  the  same  time  churned  or  beaten  very  briskly,  until  the 
tub  is  filled,  and  the  whole  is  introduced  into  the  cask  again, 
which  ought  not  to  be  quite  full,  for  the  churning  will  gene- 
rate an  abundant  froth,  which,  I think,  is  the  very  thing  that 
fines  the  wine,  therefore,  it  ought  all  to  be  introduced  into  the 
cask  ; for  that  purpose  more  wine  is  to  be  drawn,  to  rinse  the 
tub  and  funnel,  until  the  whole  is  in  ; then  with  a stick,  intro- 
duced by  the  bung,  a good  stirring  is  to  be  given  to  the  top 
of  the  mass  of  the  wine,  and  the  bung  made  fast.  If  that 
operation  is  made  in  a clear  day,  or  when  the  mercury  in  the 
thermometer  is  high  and  shows  elasticity  in  the  atmosphere 
yet,  there  is  greater  chance  of  success.  I have  made  use 
also  of  isinglass ; but  I found  it  very  troublesome.  It  must 
be  pounded  very  fine,  and  soaked  several  days  in  wine  before 
it  is  thoroughly  dissolved,  and  then  it  is  only  equal  to  the 
white  of  eggs,  and  must  be  operated  the  same  way.  Some 
say  that  it  refines  the  wine  quicker ; but  I could  not  observe 
any  material  difference.  It  is  true,  I have  not  often  made  use 
of  fish-glue  ; I had  to  buy  it  while  I had  eggs  of  my  own : 
beside,  I thought  that  the  tannin  principle,  which  exists  in 
some  sorts  of  wine,  perhaps  more  or  less  in  all,  and  is  a de- 
sirable quality,  may  be  combined  with  the  glue  and  form 


68 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


leather,  and  thus  destroy  its  best  principles  of  durability. 
Although  the  eggs  seem  also  to  be  a glue,  I suppose  they  do 
not  operate  in  the  same  way.  The  time  isinglass  succeeded 
the  best  with  me,  I had  left  it  to  soak  among  thirty  gallons 
of  wine  in  a keg,  a full  month  ; then  beaten  in  a tub  with  a 
broom  for  an  hour  before  it  was  introduced  into  the  cask  in- 
tended to  be  fined  ; one  ounce  per  eighty  or  one  hundred  gal- 
lons is  the  dose  made  use  of.  Some  recommend  to  add  the 
shells,  well-pounded,  with  the  eggs  ; and  I have  done  it  my- 
self, but  I abandoned  that  practice  after  I had  considered, 
that,  being  limestone,  they  must  neutralize  some  of  the  tartar 
of  the  wine,  which  is  absorbed  again  if  it  is  lodged  in  a ves- 
sel having  some  crystallized  tartar  adhering  to  its  staves — 
which  is  the  case  of  all  vessels  in  which  new  wine  has  been 
made — will  again  dissolve  as  much  of  those  crystals  as  the 
lime  will  have  neutralized  ; for  only  a certain  given  quantity 
of  that  salt  can  be  dissolved  by  water,  and  none  by  alcohol ; 
therefore,  the  more  spiritous  the  wine  is  the  less  tartar  it  keeps 
in  solution.  The  must  holds  as  much  as  its  watery  part 
can  dissolve  ; in  the  course  of  the  fermentation  spirit  is  formed, 
and  all  that  part  of  the  tartar  which  cannot  be  kept  in  solu- 
tion by  the  spirit,  or  combined  in  it,  is  crystallized  into  hard 
stone  against  the  sides  of  the  vessel.” 

VINEYARD  CULTURE  IN  AUSTRALIA. 

The  vineyards  of  Asia  'and  Europe  have  been  established 
for  ages,  and  it  would  be  superfluous  here  to  say  a word  about 
them — their  history  is  recorded  in  numerous  volumes. 

It  is  with  new  beginners  like  ourselves,  that  our  sympathies 
are  naturally  most  enlisted,  and  with  this  view,  the  following 
sketch  of  the  progress  of  our  own  race  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  globe,  in  vine  culture,  is  given. 

It  is  an  extract  from  the  first  Vol.,  second  edition,  of  Dr. 
Lang’s  “ Historical  and  Statistical  account  of  New  South 
Wales.  London,  1837.” 


VINEYARD  CULTURE  IN  AUSTRALIA. 


69 


“ The  soil  and  climate  of  New  South  Wales  are  universally 
considered  peculiarly  adapted  for  the  cultivation  of  the  vine. 
The  vine  has  been  cultivated  in  various  localities  in  New 
South  Wales  for  many  years  past ; but  never  to  any  extent,  or 
with  a view  to  the  making  of  wine,  till  within  the  last  three  or 
four  years.  There  are  now,  however,  many  acres  of  vine- 
yard throughout  the  colony,  the  vineyards  of  several  of  the 
more  wealthy  proprietors  being  for  the  most  part  under  the 
management  of  scientific  and  practical  vine-dressers  from  the 
south  of  Europe  ; and  wine  and  brandy  in  considerable  quan- 
tity— as  much  in  one  instance  as  eighteen  pipes  of  the  for- 
mer— have  already  been  manufactured  on  several  estates.  It 
is  scarcely  possible  as  yet,  to  predict,  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty, of  what  quality  the  wines  of  New  South  Wales  will 
eventually  prove  ; for  the  vine  requires  to  be  in  bearing  for 
five  or  six  years  before  good  wine  can,  in  any  instance,  be 
produced  from  its  fruit.  The  specimens  of  wine,  however, 
that  have  actually  been  produced  from  the  colonial  grape, 
have  induced  a general  idea  on  the  part  of  the  colonists,  that 
the  wine  of  New  South  Wales  will  be  somewhat  similar  to 
the  light  wines  of  the  Rhine  and  of  France.  At  all  events, 
the  highest  expectations  are  entertained  on  the  subject ; and 
those  of  the  landholders,  who  have  planted  vineyards,  begin 
to  talk  already  of  exporting  wine  to  India  and  England. 

“ Cuttings  of  the  choicest  European  and  African  vines  have 
at  different  times  been  imported  into  the  colony,  by  public- 
spirited  proprietors. 

“ About  eleven  years  ago,  Mr.  Redfern,  a respectable  colon- 
ist, touched  at  the  island  of  Madeira,  on  returning  from  Eu- 
rope to  New  South  Wales,  and  carried  out  with  him  a number 
of  cuttings  of  the  celebrated  vine  of  that  island,  together  with 
one  or  two  Portuguese  families  acquainted  with  its  culture. 

“ The  Messrs.  MACARTHURof  Camden,  had  a large  collection 
of  cuttings  of  the  choicest  French  and  German  vines  sent  out 
to  them,  for  propagating  in  the  colony  several  years  ago ; 


70 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


and  cuttings  of  upward  of  a hundred  varieties  were  carried 
out  to  the  colony  for  general  distribution,  in  the  year  1832, 
by  James  Busby,  Esq.,  now  British  President  at  New  Zealand  ; 
from  several  of  the  first  vineyards  of  France. 

**  The  success  of  this  branch  of  cultivation  is  of  incalculable 
importance  to  New  South  Wales  ; not  so  much,  indeed,  in  a 
commercial  or  agricultural,  as  in  a moral  respect. 

“ The  raising  of  an  article  in  the  shape  of  colonial  wine,  fit 
for  the  home  or  India  market,  is  doubtless  of  consequence  to 
the  colony  in  a mercantile  point  of  view  ; and  the  annual 
saving  that  would  accrue  from  the  manufacture  of  a whole- 
some and  cheap  beverage,  that  would  gradually  obviate  the 
necessity  for  importing  European  and  Cape  wTine,  is  of  still 
greater  moment. 

“ But  the  gradual  diminution  of  the  consumption  of  ardent 
spirits  within  the  colony,  which  would  in  all  likelihood  be  the 
eventual  result,  would,  without  doubt,  be  a blessing  of  far 
greater,  and  of  inestimable  magnitude  to  the  whole  colonial 
population.  It  is  a fact  well  ascertained,  that  the  population 
of  wine-growing  countries  are  not  addicted  to  the  brutalizing 
vice  of  drunkenness,  like  the  inhabitants  of  colder  latitudes  ; 
and  there  is  reason  to  hope,  therefore,  that  if  the  population 
of  New  South  Wales  could  by  any  means  be  converted  into  a 
vine-growing  population,  they  would,  in  due  time,  become  a 
wine-drinking,  and  comparatively  temperate,  instead  of  a 
rum-drinking  and  most  outrageously  intemperate  population.” 

PRODUCT  OF  THE  VINE  IN  FRANCE. 

To  those  who  are  not  aware  of  the  value  of  this  product  in 
wine  countries,  the  following  statistics  from  Mr.  Redding’s 
work,  before  referred  to,  may  be  found  instructive.  It  will 
be  perceived,  that  the  grape  crop  of  France,  like  the  cotton 
crop  of  our  own  country,  is  the  most  valuable  of  all  others 
for  export. 

“ France  is  the  vineyard  of  the  earth.  There  are  few  de- 


THE  VINEYARD  REGION  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


71 


partments  in  France  that  are  unfriendly  to  the  vine  ; the  ex- 
ceptions are  six  only.  In  eighty  of  the  departments  wine  is 
made,  although  of  varying  quality.  The  country  may  be 
called  one  vast  vine-garden. 

The  number  of  proprietors  of  vineyards  in  France,  is  very 
great. 

In  1823,  there  were  4,270,000  acres  in  cultivation.  The 
annual  mean  product,  920,721,088  gallons  of  wine,  at  an 
average  value  of  about  thirteen  cents  per  gallon,  amounting 
to  120,000,000  dollars.  The  product  per  acre,  near  200 
gallons.  This  estimate  was  sustained  by  the  minister  of  com- 
merce, in  his  report  for  1828.  About  115,000,000  gallons 
of  wine  is  annually  distilled  into  brandy,  producing  near 

19.000. 000  gallons.  Beside  this,  2,000,000  gallons  are  ob- 
tained from  the  murk,  (‘pummice,’  grape  seeds  and  skins, 
after  being  pressed),  and  3,000,000  gallons  made  from  corn, 
potatoes,  etc.,  etc.  Swelling  the  total  amount  of  brandy  to 

24.000. 000  gallons. ” The  wine  products  of  France  must 
have  greatly  increased  since  1 828,  when  these  estimates  were 
made. 

THE  VINEYARD  REGION  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  writer  of  this  treatise  does  not  presume  to  fix  the  limits 
of  the  vineyard  region  in  this  country.  The  grape-vine  is 
found  indigenous  over  all  our  vast  possessions.  There  can 
be  no  doubt,  but  some  of  the  native  varieties  may  be  found 
suitable  for  vineyard  culture,  in  almost  every  section  of  the 
Union,  south  of  latitude  43°.  He  can  only  give  the  result  of 
his  own  observations,  in  relation  to  the  kinds  cultivated  here ; 
and  first,  of  the  Catawba  : — This  grape  was  discovered,  ac- 
cording to  Dr.  Mosher’s  report,  “in  Buncombe  county,  N. 
Carolina ; latitude,  35°  30',  by  Col.  Murray,  and  others,  in 
1802.”  It  has  since  been  found  high  up  the  Arkansas  river, 
in  about  the  same  parallel  of  latitude,  and  on  similar  soil, 
“poor  and  gravelly.”  Since  that  period,  it  has  spread  over 
all  the  country  north,  as  high  as  lat.  42°  ; and  how  far  south, 
7 


72 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


has  not  yet  been  ascertained  here.  In  this  parallel,  39°  6 , 
it  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  is  our  great  wine  grape  ; nineteen- 
twentieths  of  all  the  grapes  planted  here,  are  Catawba.  It 
does  well  in  favorable  positions,  as  high  as  lat.  41°  ; on  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  and  some  sheltered  localities  in 
western  N.  York,  the  fruit  ripens  well ; even  in  lat.  42°,  in 
warm  seasons.  The  influence  of  the  water  of  Lake  Erie,  for 
two  or  three  miles  from  its  shores,  makes  that  a better  fruit 
region  than  ours  here.  The  Cape  ( Alexander  or  Schuylkill 
Muscadel),  is  a native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  first  found 
on  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill,  near  Philadelphia.  It  bears 
well  as  far  north  as  the  Catawba  does.  Its  southern  limits 
are  unknown  to  the  writer.  The  Isabella  is  said  to  be  a native 
of  S.  Carolina,  and  strange  to  say,  it  succeeds  better  in  the 
north  than  in  the  south,  or  even  our  intermediate  latitude. 

Here  it  is  not  prized  for  vineyard  culture,  and  the  young 
wood  is  often  winterkilled  ; but  further  north  and  north-east, 
particularly  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  city  of  New  York,  it  bears  abundantly  and  ripens  well. 
There,  it  is  the  favorite  grape  for  open  culture. 

The  Scuppernong,  is  the  principal  wine  grape  south  of  lat. 
35°  ; but  here  it  is  not  hardy.  The  foreign  grapes  do  not 
appear  to  succeed  much  better  in  that  region  than  this.  The 
foregoing  are  the  grapes  most  used  in  vineyard  culture  as  yet. 
Experiments  have  been  made  with  other  varieties,  but  not 
sufficiently  to  ascertain  the  latitude  that  suits  them  best.  The 
whole  valley  of  the  Ohio,  between  Pittsburgh  and  Cairo,  and 
not  north  of  lat.  40°,  is  thought  to  be  favorable  to  vineyard 
culture  ; provided  a proper  selection  of  soil  and  position  is 
made.  The  hills  and  hillsides  should  always  be  chosen,  in 
preference  to  the  plains.  Three-fourths  of  all  the  vineyards 
in  Europe,  are  on  the  hills  or  slopes  of  hills,  and  those  in 
plains  are  generally  in  the  chalk  formations,  which  we  have 
not  here.  In  the  valleys  of  the  Mississippi,  Missouri,  and 
other  of  our  western  rivers,  the  same  rule  will  probably  apply. 


APPENDIX. 


[ The  directions  and  descriptions  in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  treatise,  have  been 
made  as  brief  and  concise  as  possible,  in  order  that  they  might  the  more  easily  be  re- 
membered. 

In  the  following  pages,  the  reader  will  find  a more  full  and  detailed  account,  of  some 
of  the  branches  in  vine  culture  and  wine-making.] 

(From  the  Western  Horticultural  Review.) 

STATISTICS  OF  VINEYARDS. 

In  accordance  with  a resolution  of  the  Horticultural  Society 
of  Cincinnati,  passed  at  its  last  session,  calling  on  the  Presi- 
dent and  Council  to  report  on  the  extent  of  the  interest  at 
this  time  engaged  in  the  wine  business  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Cincinnati,  we  submit  the  following  report : 

Of  the  number  of  acres  now  under  cultivation  in  vines,  we 
are  not,  as  yet,  prepared  to  give  an  exact  account,  as  the  en- 
tire statistics  of  the  county  have  not  been  fully  made  out  since 
1845.  In  that  year  (see  Report  of  Wine  Committee)  there 
were  eighty-three  vineyards,  covering  an  area  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres.  In  that  year  alone,  one  hundred  acres 
were  prepared  and  planted,  and  the  number  of  acres  brought 
under  cultivation  has  been  steadily  and  rapidly  increasing 
every  year  since.  The  great  number  of  new  vineyards  com- 
menced since  1845,  some  of  which  embrace  twenty-five  to 
thirty  acres,  with  the  annual  enlargement  of  those  previously 
planted,  will  swell  the  aggregate  amount  to  not  . less  than 
twelve  hundred  acres.  From  the  statistics  already  in  our 
possession,  we  can  safely  say  that  this  is  within  the  actual 
amount. 


(73) 


74 


APPENDIX. 


The  labor  bestowed  upon  this  culture  in  the  preparation  of 
the  ground,  planting  and  dressing,  and  making  the  wine, 
gives  employment  to  at  least  six*  hundred  efficient  laborers, 
at  an  annual  cost  of  $120,000,  producing,  when  in  a bearing 
state,  in  moderately  favorable  seasons,  about  240,000  gallons 
of  wine,  estimated  at  about  the  same  number  of  dollars.  Be- 
side the  cultivators  and  vine-dressers,  employment  is  also 
given  to  wood-coopers,  equal  to  the  making  of  eight  thousand 
barrels,  estimated  at  $8,000. 

A considerable  portion  of  this  crop  now  falls  into  the  hands 
of  the  wine  coopers,  and  is  converted  into  sparkling  wine  or 
champagne,  thereby  more  than  doubling  its  market  price. 
The  value  of  sparkling  wine  prepared  in  this  county  in  1851, 
as  near  as  we  can  arrive  at  an  estimate,  amounts  to  nqt  less 
than  $75,000.  The  dealing  in  these  wines  also  forms  a con- 
siderable item  in  the  transactions  of  the  wine  merchants. 

As  most  of  those  engaged  in  the  culture  of  the  vine  have 
families  to  support,  as  well  as  others  engaged  in  the  business, 
it  may,  without  exaggeration,  be  calculated  that  the  wine  in- 
terest in  Hamilton  county,  affords  subsistence,  directly  or  in- 
directly, to  at  least  2,000  industrious  and  sober  people — a 
drunken  vine-dresser  we  have  never  met  with. 

S.  Mosher,  Pres.  Hor.  Soc. 


When  this  report  was  read  before  the  society,  some  of  the 
members  expressed  great  surprise  at  the  large  amount  of  the 
vineyard  interest — but  others  considered  the  estimate  to  be 
below  the  truth.  Mr.  Yeatman  suggested  that  it  should  be 
put  at  500,000  gallons  for  the  aggregate  annual  yield,  in 
fair  average  estimate. 

Mr.  Longwokth  considered  the  value  of  sparkling  wine, 
prepared  last  year,  to  be  $175,000,  instead  of  the  amount 
reported  above. 


RACKING  WINE 


75 


(From  the  Western  Horticultural  Rev.) 

RACKING  WINE. 

This  being  the  season  of  the  year  when  the  wine  may  re- 
quire attention,  the  reasons  for  racking  and  the  manner  of 
effecting  it  are  presented  : 

This  operation  is  performed  to  separate  the  wine  from  its 
ferment,  in  order  to  prevent  further  change,  either  spiritous 
or  acetous — to  separate  it  also  from  the  lees,  containing,  be- 
side the  yeast,  cream  of  tartar,  and  coloring  matter  which  has 
accumulated  at  the  bottom  of  the  cask.  This  process  also 
enables  us  to  avoid  the  exposure  of  the  surface  of  the  wine  to  the 
influence  of  the  air,  by  which  it  would  suffer  more  evaporation 
and  be  liable  to  be  covered  with  mould  (Kahnen)  a white  crypto- 
gamic  plant  which  covers  the  wine  and  gives  it  a putrid  taste. 

To  effect  the  first  object,  frequent  racking  is  required,  say 
1st,  at  the  end  of  December ; 2d,  at  the  end  of  February,  in 
March  or  early  in  April ; and  then  again  in  the  autumn,  at 
the  end  of  October : such  is  my  treatment  of  the  Catawba 
wine  during  the  first  year ; after  this,  it  is  only  racked  in  the 
fall.  The  latter  object  is  to  be  attained  by  keeping  the  cask 
always  bung  full  to  exclude  the  air  and  prevent  alcoholic 
evaporation  or  absorption  of  air,  to  produce  putrefaction. 
The  bung  should  be  made  of  clear  wood,  wrapped  with  clean 
linen  to  insure  tightness  ; a caution  should  however  be  had  to 
loosen  the  bungs  in  April,  when  the  wine  is  apt  to  undergo  a 
fermentative  change,  and  should  the  bung  be  too  tight,  so  that 
the  gases  cannot  drive  it  out,  the  bottom  of  the  barrel  may  have 
to  yield  before  the  pressure,  and  thus  the  wine  will  be  lost. 

In  racking,  the  first  requisite  is  a good  wine-green  cask, 
which  has  previously  contained  similar  wine  ; it  should  be 
carefully  examined  to  ascertain  that  it  is  quite  clean  and  has 
neither  a sour  nor  other  bad  smell.  After  the  cask  is 
thoroughly  rinsed  with  clear,  fresh  water,  burn  a piece  of 
brimstone  paper,  one  by  three  inches  large,  suspended  from 
the  bung  by  a piece  of  bent  wire.  This  is  made  by  dipping 


6 


APPENDIX. 


paper  into  melted  sulphur.  Then  fill  the  cask,  but  endeavor 
to  expose  the  wine  as  little  as  possible  to  the  air.  Never  use 
a new  cask  in  this  process,  as  the  wine  will  acquire  a bad 
smell  and  taste  from  the  fresh  wood.  Neither  should  you 
think  of  taking  a barrel  that  has  contained  brandy,  Madeira, 
or  other  wine  than  good  Catawba,  as  these  substances  always 
impart  a taste  to  the  wine,  and  thus  destroy  the  fine  flavor  of 
our  delicate  product.  Casks  become  what  is  called  wine-green , 
or  fit  for  old  wine,  after  having  had  fermented  in  them  sweet 
cider  or  grape  must. 

Empty  casks  may  be  kept  in  good  order  by  being  thorough- 
ly cleaned,  and  after  they  have  been  left  to  dry  for  a few 
days,  burn  a piece  of  sulphur  paper  and  bung  them  tightly, 
this  may  be  repeated  every  three  or  four  months.  The  burn- 
ing sulphur  produces  sulphurous  acid  gas,  which  prevents 
putrefaction  and  acidulation,  but  they  should  be  well  rinsed 
before  they  are  again  used. 

Especial  caution  is  given  after  racking  the  wine  to  keep  the 
cask  always  bung-full  ; this  requires  frequent  examination, 
r,ay  every  three  or  four  weeks,  when  it  should  be  filled  up. 
In  a cask  that  is  not  kept  full,  there  is  more  evaporation,  and 
in  presence  of  the  atmospheric  air,  acetous  or  vinegar  fermen- 
tation is  apt  to  be  commenced,  the  white  mould  (Kahnen)  ik 
formed,  and  the  wine  is  spoiled,  never  to  be  restored. 

A great  many  persons  believe  that  the  racking  of  wine  is 
not  necessary,  they  say  that  it  is  thereby  weakened,  because 
the  yeast  and  all  the  sedimentary  matters  give  strength  to  the 
wine — let  us  examine  into  this.  The  temperature  of  the  mus 
during  the  first  week  of  the  first  or  quick  fermentation  is  vert 
much  increased,  the  liquid  from  being  clear,  becomes  turbid, 
owing  to  the  separation  and  precipitation  of  the  decomposed 
and  effete  ferment,  the  cream  of  tartar  and  other  matters 
which  are  kept  in  continual  motion  by  the  escaping  carbonic 
acid  gas.  In  the  second  week  the  fermentation  is  moderated, 
the  temperature  is  reduced  ; in  the  third  week  this  reduction 


FERMENTATION  OF  WINES. 


77 


is  still  more  observable,  and  fermentation  nearly  ceases,  until 
the  temperature  becomes  almost  the  same  as  the  surrounding 
air,  and  cold  weather  comes  on.  At  the  end  of  December 
the  wine  will  be  nearly  clear,  and  this  is  the  time  I recommend 
for  the  first  racking.  At  the  end  of  February,  the  weather  is 
still  colder,  and  more  of  these  foreign  ingredients  are  separ- 
ated, hence  this  period  is  recommended  for  the  second  rack- 
ing, the  wine  will  then  be  mellow  and  nearly  clear.  In  the 
middle  of  April,  when  the  vines  begin  to  push  forth  their 
buds,  the  wine  ferments  again,  but  if  it  has  been  well  racked, 
it  possesses  little  yeast,  and  the  fermentation  will  be  slow, 
and  more  of  the  sugar  will  be  retained  in  an  unchanged  con- 
dition, so  that  the  wine  is  more  palatable. 

What  happens,  on  the  contrary,  with  wines  that  have  not 
been  racked  ? With  the  increasing  temperature  of  the  season, 
in  April  or  May,  fermentation  commences,  and  the  escaping 
carbonic  gas  stirs  up  all  the  sediment  from  the  bottom  of  the 
cask,  bringing  it  into  contact  with  the  wine,  which  retains  a 
portion  of  what  it  had  before  thrown  off,  the  yeast  also,  thus 
mixed,  will  decompose  more  sugar,  and  the  result  will  be  a 
too  hard  and  too  astringent  wine,  that  must  require  years  to 
render  it  again  mellow.  L.  Rehfuss. 


(From  the  Western  Horticultural  Review.) 

FERMENTATION  OF  WINES. 

The  growing  importance  of  the  manufacture  of  wine,  from 
our  already  numerous  vineyards  in  this  immediate  vicinity, 
calls  for  the  attention  of  those  engaged  in  that  particular 
branch  of  industry. 

The  great  deficiency  of  the  knowledge  of  the  principles 
which  govern  the  fermentation  and  changes  of  the  must,  or 
juice  of  the  grape,  is  sufficiently  attested  by  the  numerous 
poor  specimens  of  wine  offered  in  our  market,  showing  con- 
clusively a want  of  skill,  as  well  as  proper  attention  to  the 


78 


APPENDIX. 


management  of  the  different  changes  it  undergoes  while  in 
its  transition  from  the  crude  juice  of  the  grape  to  good  mar- 
ketable wine.  There  is  undoubtedly  too  much  importance 
attached  to  locality  and  soil , and  too  little  attention  during 
fermentation.  If  all  could  extract  the  juice  from  their  grapes 
in  precisely  the  same  manner,  then  the  same  treatment  (other 
circumstances  being  similar ) would  undoubtedly  produce 
nearly  the  same  results ; but,  with  our  numerous  small  begin- 
nings and  variety  of  appliances  used  in  gathering  and  press- 
ing the  grapes,  we  can  look  for  little  uniformity  in  the  quality 
of  the  raw  juice ; hence  it  becomes  absolutely  necessary  for 
each  one  to  understand  the  principles  that  govern  the  ferment- 
ing process,  in  order  to  meet  the  variety  of  circumstances  that 
will  necessarily  follow.  Some  rack  or  draw  off  their  wine  too 
much,  some  not  enough : in  the  course  of  my  remarks  I shall 
attempt  to  point  out  the  reason  why  wine  may  be  injured  by 
too  much,  as  well  as  by  too  little  separation  from  the  lees 
during  its  progressive  stages  of  fermentation.  In  the  first 
place,  it  will  be  important  to  ascertain  the  character  of  the 
agent  that  produces  fermentation,  how  long  that  agent  should 
be  suffered  to  operate,  and  when  it  is  proper  to  dispense  with 
its  influence. 

The  fermenting  or  yeast  principle  is  produced  during  vinous 
or  first  fermentation  from  a vegetable  gluten  or  gum  which 
exists  in  the  juices  of  all  fruits  — this  yeast  or  ferment  is 
formed  in  greater  or  less  quantities,  as  this  gluten  or  gum 
pervades  more  or  less  the  fermenting  mass;  hence  that  having 
a large  quantity  of  gluten  will  produce  an  abundance  of  the 
stimulating  or  fermenting  principle,  and  in  many  cases,  to  the 
injury  of  the  wine.  In  drawing  the  must  from  the  grapes  by 
pressing,  some  part  will  be  more  charged  with  this  gum  than 
others  unless  the  whole  amount  pressed  at  once  is  run  into  a 
single  receiver,  in  which  case  there  will  be  more  uniformity 
in  the  process  of  fermentation,  than  if  it  is  put  into  a number 
of  casks  during  the  time  it  is  running  from  the  press.  This 


FERMENTATION  OF  WINES. 


79 


gum  or  mucilage  is  held  in  solution  in  the  juice,  and  is  invisi- 
ble before  the  fermentation  commences,  but,  so  soon  as  that 
process  begins,  the  clear  liquor  becomes  turbid  and  a separa- 
tion takes  place ; some  subsides  and  settles  to  the  bottom, 
some  becomes  charged  with  carbonic  acid  gas  and  floats  on 
the  top  until  the  gas  escapes,  when  it  sinks  to  the  bottom. 
This  is  the  time  to  separate  the  wine  from  the  superabundant 
yeast,  as  there  will  still  be  enough  left  to  carry  forward  the 
fermentation  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  insure  a sound,  good 
wine.  The  wine,  then,  will  not,  in  all  cases,  be  clear,  but  if 
it  is  a little  turbid,  it  should  be  racked  off,  and  the  casks  well 
washed  out  with  cold  water,  and  the  wdne  returned  into  them 
to  complete  its  fermentation.  Some  wines  will  not  require  a 
second  racking  off,  as  the  separation  from  the  ferment  or  lees 
will  have  been  sufficiently  effected,  and  the  fermentation 
during  its  future  progress  will  be  moderate  enough  to  fine 
itself  bright  and  clear  ; but  if  that  should  not  be  the  case  and 
it  still  continues  turbid  or  riley,  a small  quantity  of  isinglass 
or  fish-glue  should  be  dissolved  in  strong  spirits  and  added 
(about  one  ounce  of  the  glue  to  one  pint  of  spirit,  for  a bar- 
rel of  forty  gallons  is  sufficient);  it  should  be  dissolved  warm 
and  put  into  the  bung-hole,  and  then  slightly  stirred  over  the 
top  ; it  is  gelatinous,  and  in  subsiding  carries  down  the  super- 
abundant particles  of  ferment  that  heretofore  kept  up  the 
action,  causing  the  muddiness  of  the  wine.  Whenever  the 
wine  appears  clear  it  should  be  racked  off,  and,  in  most  cases, 
it  will  not  need  any  further  assistance,  but  becomes  bright 
and  clear.  The  process  of  fermentation  does  not  stop  here, 
however,  as  it  is  constantly  progressing  in  the  form  of  an  in- 
sensible fermentation , elaborating  and  combining  the  elements 
of  the  new  and  acrid,  and  producing  a mellowness  of  the 
wine  that  is  only  acquired  by  age.  If  the  wine  has  been 
fined  or  separated  too  much  from  the  lees  during  the  first 
racking  off,  it  will  be  thin  and  wanting  in  “body”  and  defi- 
cient in  aroma ; this  can  only  be  remedied  by  adding  sub- 


80 


APPENDIX. 


stances  to  it  that  will  strengthen  it,  whether  sugar  or  spirit, 
but  either  will  injure  the  quality,  and  the  produce  will  not  be 
of  fine  flavor  or  possess  the  mellowness  that  is  indispensable 
to  good  wine  ; in  fact,  the  “ manufacturing ” should  be  as  much 
avoided  as  possible.  The  strength  of  wine  depends  upon  the 
amount  of  sugar  contained  in  the  juice  of  the  grape,  a portion 
of  this  sugar  is  decomposed  and  its  alcohol  combined  with 
another  portion  of  the  sugar  during  the  fermenting  process : 
now  if  the  fermentation  is  hurried  too  rapidly,  and  is  not  sus- 
pended at  the  proper  time,  the  spirit  will,  by  another  fermen- 
tation, the  acetous,  be  converted  into  vinegar,  and  the  whole 
irrecoverably  lost,  as  no  “ manufacturing  or  doctoring”  will 
ever  correct  a cask  of  wine  after  that  change  has  occurred. 
The  acetic  acid  may  be  neutralized,  but  it  will  never  be 
sound,  good  wine  ; for  this  reason — a too  rapid  fermentation 
should  be  guarded  against.  Very  weak  wines  are  more  liable 
to  become  acid  than  strong  ones,  for  the  amount  of  alcohol 
elaborated,  when  there  is  an  abundance  of  sugar,  serves  to 
check  the  rapid  vinous  fermentation,  and  prevents  its  running 
into  the  acetic  change. 

Some  have  tried  adding  sugar  to  the  juice,  but  the  diffe- 
rence between  cane  and  grape  sugar  is  such  that  the  product 
has  not  been  satisfactory. 

I think  the  juice  of  well-matured  Catawba  or  Cape  grapes, 
that  are  produced  in  this  vicinity,  is  strong  enough  to  insure 
good  wine  without  any  addition  either  of  spirit  or  sugar. 

Julius  Brace. 


ON  SPRING  AND  SUMMER  PRUNING. 

R.  Buchanan,  Esq.  : — 

Dear  Sir. — To  your  request  that  I would  communicate  a 
detailed  statement  of  my  mode  of  training  and  pruning  vines, 
I cheerfully  comply — and  as  I think  much  experience  and 
observation  are  required  to  arrive  at  the  best  methods,  I shall 


SPRING  AND  SUMMER  PRUNING. 


81 


give  only  what  has  proved  most  successful  with  me.  My 
vines  or  a portion  of  them  have  been  planted  nine  years ; the 
rows  five  feet  apart,  and  the  vines  three  feet  distant  in  the 
rows.  Roots,  one  year  old  from  the  cuttings,  were  planted 
after  being  cut  close  down  to  the  crown.  The  first  year 
they  were  allowed  to  grow  without  any  other  care  than 
keeping  the  ground  clear  from  weeds.  The  second  spring, 
early,  the  tops  were  all  cut  down  to  two  eyes,  and  a stake 
driven  to  each  vine,  six  or  seven  feet  long.  One  or  two  of  the 
best  shoots  were  allowed  to  grow,  all  others  rubbed  off. 
These  two  shoots,  or  canes  as  they  are  technically  called,  are 
tied  up  to  the  stakes  when  they  have  grown  eighteen  or 
twenty  inches  in  length,  and  should  be  kept  tied  from  time  to 
time,  as  they  advance  in  height  through  the  second  summer ; 
little  or  no  pruning  will  be  required  this  season. 

The  third  spring,  I would  cut  these  canes  down  to  two 
eyes,  although  some  of  the  strongest  might  bear  fruit  the  third 
summer,  it  is  much  better  to  let  them  grow  another  year,  and 
become  strong,  before  raising  a crop.  This  season  more 
attention  is  required,  and  they  must  be  prepared  to  bear  a 
good  crop  the  fourth  summer.  The  two  most  thrifty  shoots 
must  be  selected  the  third  spring  and  kept  tied  with  rye- 
straw,  or  some  other  strong  and  suitable  material,  to  the 
stakes,  as  in  the  second  summer.  This  year  I pinch  off  all 
the  lateral  or  axillary  branches  between  the  thumb  and  finger- 
nail before  they  become  too  large  and  woody — otherwise,  if 
left  too  long,  so  as  to  require  the  knife,  the  determination  of 
sap  in  that  direction  is  liable  to  force  out  the  sleeping  eyes, 
which  should  remain  dormant  till  next  year.  These  lateral 
shoots  should  be  pinched  off  to  the  height  of  four  or  five  feet, 
or  as  high  as  is  intended  to  prune  the  next  spring  ; after  that 
they  may  be  allowed  to  grow  as  they  check  the  extension  of 
the  main  shoots. 

The  two  canes  of  this  year  will  be  strong  and  vigorous  and 
soon  rise  to  the  top  of  the  stakes,  where  they  must  always  be 


62 


APPENDIX. 


strongly  tied  to  prevent  the  effects  of  wind.  About  the  first 
of  September,  and  not  much  before,  the  extremities  are 
pinched  off  to  arrest  their  further  elongation  and  growth — 
whereby  the  wood  and  buds  become  more  perfectly  matured — 
this  finishes  the  work  of  the  vines  for  the  third  season. 

We  are  now  arrived  at  the  fourth  spring.  The  vines  are 
old  enough  to  bear  a full  crop — and  we  have  two  good  thrifty 
canes  ready  for  the  knife — the  old  strings  by  which  they  were 
secured  to  the  stakes  are  cut — and  the  tendrils  trimmed  off. 
The  cane  that  comes  off  highest  from  the  root  is  chosen  to 
bear  the  whole  crop,  and  is  cut  off  about  four  feet  from  the 
ground,  having  from  six  to  ten  eyes  according  to  the  length 
of  the  joints — the  other  cane,  which  is  often  equally  beauti- 
ful, is  cut  down  to  two  eyes,  and  is  generally  used  for  cuttings. 
From  these  two  eyes  two  more  shoots  are  trained,  as  in  the 
previous  year.  After  all  are  pruned,  and  just  when  the  sap 
begins  to  flow  freely  and  the  vines  are  most  flexible,  the  bear- 
ing cane  is  carefully  bent  round  in  the  form  of  a hoop,  and 
tied  to  the  stake  with  willow  twigs — one  at  the  bottom,  one  at 
the  top  of  the  circle,  and  the  third  fastens  the  extremity  either 
to  the  the  stake  or  to  the  vine  below. 

I am  often  asked,  why  this  hoop  or  circle  ? The  answer 
is,  gradually  to  retard  the  current  of  sap  or  juice,  that  each 
eye  may  receive  an  equal  share,  and  prevent  its  rushing  on- 
ward to  the  last  eye  or  bud,  which  is  sure  to  gain  too  great  a 
share  and  to  cause  a growth  too  exuberant  if  trained  upward 
with  the  stake. 

The  operation  of  tying  is  performed  with  much  dexterity 
by  experienced  hands,  and  should  always  be  completed  before 
the  buds  are  much  expanded,  as  then  they  are  liable  to  be 
broken  off. 

All  my  hopes  and  expectations  of  a crop  are  now  centered 
in  this  little  circle.  If  the  winter  has  not  been  too  severe 
every  eye  will  shoot,  and  in  a short  time  show  the  blossoms, 
from  one  to  three  bunches  on  each.  After  the  berries  are  set 


SPRING  AND  SUMMER  PRUNING. 


83 


my  vines  are  carefully  inspected  by  the  vine-dresser,  and  from 
ten  to  fifteen  of  the  largest  and  most  promising  bunches  are 
selected,  and  all  the  others  are  pinched  off,  also  all  unfruitful 
shoots  that  may  have  pushed  out  from  the  circle.  I know 
that  many  of  our  vine  men  allow  every  bunch  to  grow  for  fear 
of  casualties.  This  I have  proved  to  be  an  error.  Ten  to 
fifteen  bunches,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  vine,  are 
more  likely  to  remain  on  and  produce  more  mature  fruit  than 
twenty  or  more.  The  vines  must  not  be  overtaxed — too 
heavy  a burden  can  never  be  carried  to  the  end  of  the  jour- 
ney— but  a light  task  will  be  more  perfectly  executed. 

Soon  after  the  grapes  are  set  and  about  the  size  of  common 
shot,  my  rule  is  to  pinch  off  the  ends  of  the  bearing  branches — 
leaving  four  good  leaves  for  the  first  bunch  of  grapes,  and 
two  additional  leaves  for  every  other  bunch  on  the  same 
branch — so  that  if  there  are  three  bunches  there  will  be  eight 
leaves  to  supply  their  wants.  I have  tried  leaving  these 
bearing  branches  to  grow  their  full  length  without  pinching 
them  off,  but  I find  they  incumber  the  ground  too  much,  with- 
out any  perceptible  improvement  of  the  fruit.  After  these 
bearing  shoots  have  been  pinched  off,  especially  if  done  too 
early,  the  buds  in  the  axils  of  their  leaves  will  push  out. 
These  I pinch  off  also  when  quite  young,  sometimes  permit- 
ting one  or  two  leaves  to  remain  on  them.  The  leaves  on 
these  laterals  do  not  seem  to  subserve  the  wants  of  the  fruit, 
like  the  original  leaves  on  the  bearing  wood,  which  should  be 
carefully  preserved.  At  the  fifth  spring-pruning  the  vines  will 
have  the  two  good  canes,  as  in  the  previous  spring,  with  the 
addition  of  the  old  hoop  or  circle  that  bore  fruit.  This  I cut 
off  as  close  down  as  possible  to  the  uppermost  cane,  and  the 
other  two  canes  are  managed  exactly  in  the  same  manner  as 
in  i he  preceding  year.  I never  allow  the  old  stock  to  rise 
more  than  six  to  ten  inches  above  the  ground — the  lower  they 
are  kept  the  more  healthy  they  will  remain  and  be  much  more 
easily  managed.  Pruning  the  vine  for  wine  requires  a bold 


84 


APPENDIX. 


hand  and  much  firmness  of  purpose,  otherwise  the  old  stock 
will  get  too  high  and  become  incumbered  with  too  many 
shoots.  It  must  be  borne  constantly  in  mind  that  one  single 
bearing  shoot  or  cane,  having  from  six  to  ten  eyes,  will  throw 
out  as  many  bearing  branches.  From  these  ten  bearing 
branches  it  will  be  easy  to  select  from  ten  to  fifteen  bunches. 
These  bunches,  in  any  ordinary  favorable  season,  may  be  made 
to  yield  one  quart  of  good  grapes,  which  will  make,  at  least, 
a pint  of  wine.  One  acre  of  ground  planted  three  feet  by 
five  will  contain  2,904  vines.  If  each  vine,  then,  yields  one 
pint  of  wine  only,  there  will  be  2,904  pints,  or  363  gallons, 
from  each  acre.  This  is  more  than  the  average  yield  per 
acre — and  for  the  reason  only  that  we  are  two  greedy — by 
overloading  the  vines  we  fail  to  obtain  a reasonable  quantity, 
as  well  as  a good  quality  of  wine. 

The  above  contains  most  fully  my  views,  derived  from 
practice  and  close  observation,  on  the  subject  of  pruning  the 
vine  for  wine.  If  you  think  they  contain  any  hints  that  will 
aid  beginners,  or  others,  you  are  at  liberty  to  make  such  use 
of  them  as  you  may  think  proper. 

Yours,  respectfully,  S.  Mosher. 

Latonia  Springs , Ky., 


soil  for  a vineyard. 

R.  Buchanan: — 

Dear  Sir. — I consider  the  proper  selection  of  the  soil,  as 
almost  everything  in  the  successful  cultivation  of  the  grape 
for  making  wine.  I have  visited  nearly  all  the  vineyards  near 
Cincinnati,  and  feel  confident  that  many  of  them  must  eventu- 
ally fail,  from  a want  of  selecting  at  first  the  right  kind  of 
soil ; and  yet,  in  my  opinion,  there  is  plenty  of  suitable  soil 
in  almost  any  neighborhood.  Some  have  planted  on  land  of 
a grayish,  gravelly  superficial  surface,  with  a heavy  blue  clay 
subsoil,  impervious  alike  to  water  and  the  roots  of  the  vine, 
further  than  is  loosened  by  the  spade  or  the  plow  in  trenching 


SOIL  FOR  A VINEYARD SEEDLINGS. 


85 


Such  soil,  if  it  does  produce  a growth  of  wood,  yet  causes 
the  grapes  to  rot. 

Another  soil,  unsuited  to  the  grape,  is  that  with  a surface 
of  good,  rich  mould  underlaid  by  a stratum  of  fine,  bright, 
yellow  sand,  clammy  and  adhesive.  This  is  well  calculated 
to  deceive,  but  it  has  no  strength  below  the  mould,  and  the 
vines  invariably  become  weak  and  of  small  growth.  Such 
lands  may  be  improved  by  lime  and  ashes.  But  the  soil  upon 
which  I rely,  and  from  the  experience  of  seven  or  eight  years, 
place  the  greatest  confidence,  is  of  a grayish  black,  breaking 
up  into  small  square  lumps  in  cultivation,  deep,  and  running 
into  a reddish  yellow  subsoil,  friable  like  the  surface  in  work- 
ing, and  generally  resting  on  limestone  rock ; in  such  soil, 
with  proper  cultivation,  I have  never  known  the  vine  to  fail. 
As  to  locality,  I prefer  a southern,  western,  or  eastern  aspect, 
in  the  order  here  named,  to  a northern,  but  consider  the  soil 
of  the  right  selection  of  far  more  importance. 

Respectfully,  John  Williamson. 

March  1 5th, 

(From  the  Western  Horticultural  Review.) 

ON  GRAPE  SEEDLINGS,  BY  N.  RIEHL,  OF  ST.  LOUIS,  JAN. 

The  method  which  is  most  commonly  followed  in  raising 
grape  seedlings,  is  to  sow  the  seed  in  the  open  ground,  then 
select  the  finest  or  most  vigorous  plants  and  set  them  out  in 
rows,  where  they  remain  until  they  come  into  bearing.  Ex- 
perience has  now  shown  that  these  seedlings  are  generally 
inferior  in  quality  to  the  Catawba,  or  other  sorts  from  which 
the  seed  was  taken.  Why  such  is  the  result,  may  be  princi- 
pally attributed  to  the  following  reasons:  Beside  the  ten- 

dency which  the  grape  has,  when  grown  from  the  seed,  to  go 
back  to  the  natural  wild  state,  like  all  other  varieties  of  cul- 
tivated fruit,  it  also,  like  the  strawberry,  has  a tendency  to 
become  dioecious  by  the  abortion  of  male  or  female  organs  in 
the  flowers.  Those  plants  may  be  recognized  the  first  season 


86 


APPENDIX. 


by  tlieir  luxuriant  growth  and  longer  joints,  while  those 
which  will  probably  produce  the  best  varieties  are  of  much 
slower  growth,  more  delicate,  and  often  die  out  in  the  first 
summer,  when  left  exposed  to  the  drought  and  scorching  sun 
of  our  south-western  climate.  So  there  is  no  wonder  why 
the  exertions  of  amateurs  have  been  attended  writh  so  little 
success  in  the  production  of  better  varieties  of  grapes  from 
seed. 

The  production  of  hybrid  grapes,  by  crossing  our  native 
kinds  with  the  European  species,  is  a very  uncertain  process. 
The  flower  is  formed  in  such  a way  as  to  make  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  decide  whether  the  pistil  is  not  already  impregnated 
by  the  surrounding  anthers ; and  it  is  very  doubtful  whether 
there  is  yet  one  true  hybrid  grape  in  cultivation.  Although 
it  is  not  impossible  that  such  hybrids  may  be  produced,  but 
we  may  be  certain  that  the  great  number  and  very  different 
varieties  of  the  European  grapes  are  varieties  of  one  and  the 
same  botanical  species,  and  not  hybrids.  So  we  have  all 
reason  to  hope  that,  by  starting  with  our  native  grapes,  we 
may  be  able  to  produce  sorts  just  as  different  and  excellent, 
either  for  table  or  wine,  as  those  of  Europe  are,  without 
resorting  to  crossing  the  different  species. 

The  seeds  should  be  selected  from  grapes  of  the  greatest 
perfection,  in  every  respect,  large,  fine  bunches,  and  perfectly 
ripe,  of  the  sort  which  the  experimenter  thinks  most  proper, 
probably  Catawba.  They  should  be  sown,  as  soon  as  washed 
from  the  grapes,  in  four  inch  pots,  in  rich  mould,  not  too  thick, 
and  covered  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  with  the  same  soil. 
These  pots  are  to  be  kept  always  moist,  and  wintered  in  a 
conservatory,  or  pit,  or  any  other  similar  place,  until  spring, 
when  almost  every  grain  will  vegetate.  They  are  then  treated 
like  other  tender  seedlings.  They  require  plenty  of  light, 
and  as  much  air  as  the  weather  will  allow.  From  May  or 
June,  they  require  protection  from  the  sun. 

The  weaker  plants  should  never  be  pulled  out  for  the  pur- 


GRAPE  SEEDLINGS. 


87 


pose  of  thinning.  I would  rather  cut  off  close  to  the  ground 
some  of  the  most  vigorous,  if  thinning  should  appear  indis- 
pensable. If  the  young  plants  grow  well  they  may  be  shifted 
two  or  three  times  into  larger  pots,  being  careful  not  to  break 
the  ball  of  earth,  nor  let  the  rootlets  become  dry.  Some  time 
in  winter,  when  the  seedlings  are  in  the  house  again  and 
have  lost  their  leaves,  they  should  be  taken  out  of  their  pots 
and  planted  separately  in  pots  corresponding  to  the  size  of 
their  roots. 

Should  their  number  be  larger  than  I might  wish  to  keep, 
I would  select  the  moderate  growers,  with  their  short  wood, 
and  reject  the  longer  and  thinner  ones.  The  second  year  or 
summer,  two  shiftings  may  again  be  necessary,  and,  if  well 
attended  to,  they  may  be  strong  enough  to  be  planted  in  the 
open  ground  in  the  spring  of  the  third  year.  Staking,  mulch- 
ing, and,  perhaps,  shading  will  be  necessary  at  first ; but 
after  being  established,  they  may  be  treated  like  other  vines 
in  the  vineyard. 

In  the  fall  of  the  fifth  year,  most  of  these  seedlings  will 
bear  fruit,  and  a number  of  them  will  give  certain  evidence 
of  being  inferior  and  poor,  which  may  then  be  discarded. 
The  doubtful  and  promising  ones  should  be  kept  two  or  three 
years  longer,  before  deciding  upon  their  merits. 

In  judging  the  qualities  of  the  grapes,  we  must  not  ask 
too  many  good  qualities  of  one  and  the  same  plant.  A grape 
may  be  small  and  tough -skinned,  and  nevertheless  make 
excellent  wine  ; and  a very  poor  wine  grape  may  be  a deli- 
cious and  beautiful  table  grape.  In  fact,  the  finest  European 
table  grapes — for  instance,  the  Chasselas  de  Fontainbleau 
among  others — is  nowhere  grown  for  wine ; and  the  grapes 
which  furnish  the  best  wine,  like  Tokay  and  Auvergnes,  are 
never  seen  in  market  nor  presented  on  the  table,  when  others 
can  be  had.  Nor  should  the  experiment  be  made  on  too 
small  a scale.  The  attending  of  four  or  five  hundred  pots 
does  not  require  so  much  labor.  They  may  be  put  under 
8 


88 


APPENDIX. 


the  stage  in  the  winter,  when  the)7-  have  no  leaves ; and  one 
plant  of  superior  quality  found  in  such  a lot  will  amply 
reward  the  cultivator  for  the  trouble  and  expense.  The  win- 
tering of  grape  seedlings  and  their  nursing  in  the  green- 
house does  not  render  them  more  delicate  than  they  naturally 
are,  and  whoever  attempts  to  raise  them  in  the  climate  of  St. 
Louis  will  find  a similar  course  necessary  to  insure  success. 


(From  the  Western  Horticultural  Review.) 

FROM  1HE  PRESIDENT  TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  “WINE  ASSO 
CIATION.” 

“ Allow  me,  gentlemen,  to  suggest  for  your  discussion 
some  propositions,  by  which  we  may  be  guided  this  year,  the 
adoption  of  which  may  prove  useful  and  bring  our  society  to 
the  stand  she  ought  to  occupy  as  an  institution,  by  distrib- 
uting the  results  of  our  experiments,  founded  on  practical 
and  scientific  investigations,  in  cultivating  the  vine,  and  pre- 
paring a healthy  drink,  which  may  save  our  country  millions 
of  dollars,  now  yearly  sent  away  to  other  lands  for  mixed 
liquids,  called  wine.  By  introducing  a cheap,  good,  natural 
wine,  whisky  and  brandy,  and  other  deleterious  articles,  may 
be  dispensed  with,  the  habits  of  the  people  will  be  changed, 
and  we  shall  see  less  drunkenness,  as  it  is  a well  known 
fact  that  in  wine-growing  countries  drunkards  are  very  seldom 
found. 

“ As  we  have  in  our  society  high-minded,  generous,  and 
disinterested  members,  who,  with  indefatigable  zeal,  have 
promoted  the  distribution  and  cultivation  of  the  vine  for  a 
number  of  years,  I do  not  doubt  that  they  will  also  be  glad 
to  support  measures  which  will  bring  our  society  to  a higher 
stand.  I,  therefore,  propose, 

“ 1 . Publishing  the  different  modes  of  pruning  and  training 
the  vines,  and  having  them  all  fairly  tested  for  a number  of 
successive  years. 


REHFUSS’  LETTER NATIVE  WINE. 


89 


“ £.  Publishing  monthly  the  different  parts  of  the  work  t< 
be  done  in  the  vineyard  as  a vineyard  calendar. 

“3.  Publishing  the  different  modes  of  fermenting  the 
wine,  and  its  treatment  in  the  cellar. 

“4.  To  induce  wealthy  merchants  at  home  and  abroad  tc 
invest  their  capital  in  our  wine,  so  that  by  a competition  for 
the  produce  a fair  price  may  be  realized  by  the  maker,  whc 
may  thus  always  find  a ready  sale,  and  not  become  discour- 
aged by  the  low  state  of  the  market. 

“ 5.  Chemical  analyses  should  be  made  of  our  soil,  of  the 
wood  and  leaves  of  the  vine,  and  particularly  of  the  fruit, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  time  of  its  maturity. 

“ On  the  three  first  propositions  you  do  not  need  a com- 
ment. To  the  fourth  I have  to  remark,  it  would  be  bene- 
ficial for  the  wine- dealers  to  open  large  cellars  here,  and 
take  the  sweet  must  from  the  vine-dresser,  and  ferment  it  in 
their  own  cellars,  under  regular  treatment,  by  which  means 
the  wine  would  be  made  of  a more  equal  quality. 

“ The  man  who  dresses  the  vine,  and  he  who  understands 
the  treatment  of  the  wine  in  the  cellar,  are,  in  Europe,  sepa- 
rate persons. 

“Here,  among  our  vine -dressers,  from  a want  of  good  cel- 
lars and  casks,  and  from  lack  of  proper  treatment,  I have 
found  the  best  must  converted  into  a liquid  not  good  enough 
for  vinegar,  and  too  bad  to  be  called  wine. 

“L.  Rehfuss. 


(From  the  Western  Horticultural  Review.) 

NATIVE  WINE.  BY  DR.  MOSHER. 

In  this  climate,  in  good  localities,  it  has  already  been 
proved,  and  many  respectable  persons  in  this  vicinity  can 
attest  to  the  fact,  that  the  Catawba  and  the  Cape  grape,  when 
well  treated,  will  yield  a pure  and  perfect  dry  wine  without 


90 


APPENDIX. 


any  admixture  of  sugar  or  alcohol  whatever,  or  of  any  other 
foreign  substance.  Within  my  own  knowledge,  the  pure  juice 
of  the  Catawba  grape  has  been  kept  in  bottles  twelve  years^ 
the  last  six  of  which,  it  was  kept  in  a dry  chamber,  and  be- 
came so  much  improved  as  to  be  pronounced  by  good  judges 
a most  delicious  dry  wine,  that  would  compare  favorably  with 
the  very  best  Hock  or  Madeira.  Twenty-four  dollars  a dozen 
was  offered  for  it,  by  one  who  knew  what  constituted  good 
wine. 

The  pure  juice  of  the  grape  alone  deserves  the  appellation 
of  wine — to  obtain  which,  of  an  excellent  quality  is  the  grand 
desideratum  that  should  engage  the  enlightened  efforts  of  this 
society.  If  sugar  or  spirits  is  required  to  convert  the  juice 
of  the  grape  into  what  is  called  wine,  the  sooner  the  vine-cul- 
ture is  abandoned,  the  better — for  we  already  have  among  us 
enough  artificial  mixtures  of  this  class  called  wine — many  of 
which,  I am  credibly  informed,  have  never  had  the  christen- 
ing influence  of  a single  drop  of  the  blood  of  the  vine. 

If,  in  awarding  a premium  by  this  society  for  the  best 
native  wine  of  the  vintage  of  1847,  it  is  intended  to  apply  indis- 
criminately to  all  the  mixtures  of  the  produce  of  that  year,  it  is 
difficult  to  perceive  how  horticulture  is  to  be  benefited  by 
it.  It  is  liberal  and  praiseworthy  to  offer  rewards  that  will 
tend  to  encourage  so  important  a branch  of  Horticulture  as 
the  vineyard — to  bring  its  produce  into  a high  state  of  excel- 
lence, and  to  make  public  that  mode  of  culture  and  manage- 
ment of  the  vine,  and  that  treatment  of  wine  which  shall 
elicit  the  most  meritorious  production  and  obtain  the  prize.  I 
know  the  Society,  in  offering  this  reward,  were  actuated  by 
the  purest  motives — to  encourage  horticultural  improvement 
alone,  and  never  dreamed  of  ministering  to  the  cupidity  of 
the  most  skillful  inventors  of  compounds.  That  cultivator, 
who  manages  his  vines  in  the  best  manner,  and  thereby  pro- 
duces to  this  Society  a pure  juice  of  the  best  qualities,  such 
as  strength,  fineness,  aroma,  and  flavor,  should  be  entitled  to 


FOREIGN  GRAPES. 


91 


the  premium,  and  not  he  who  possesses  most  knowledge  and 
skill  in  combining  mixtures.  It  is  of  incalculable  impor- 
tance to  this  Society,  as  well  as  to  the  community  at  large,  to 
know  how  to  cultivate  the  vine  and  to  manage  the  pure  juice 
so  as  to  produce  the  best  samples  of  wine,  which  will  always 
be  sure  to  command  the  highest  market  value. 


(From  the  Horticulturist.) 

FOREIGN  GRAPES. BT  MR.  DOWNING. 

Mr.  Togno  is  sanguine  as  to  the  introduction  of  the  foreign 
grape  in  this  country  for  open  vineyard  culture.  The  thing 
is  impossible.  Thousands  of  individuals  have  tried  it  on  a 
small  scale  in  various  parts  of  the  Union  ; and  several  per- 
sons— as  for  example,  M.  Loubat,  Mr.  Longwortii,  etc.,  of 
great  experience  abroad  or  knowledge  at  home,  joined  to 
abundant  capital,  have  tried  it  on  a small  scale.  The  result 
in  every  case  has  been  the  same ; a season  or  two  of  promise, 
then  utter  failure,  and  finally  complete  abandonment  of  the 
theory. 

The  only  vineyards  ever  successful  in  America  are  those 
of  American  grapes.  As  it  is  a pretty  well  established  axiom, 
that  the  hardiness  of  a variety  of  tree  or  plant  is  not  affected 
by  grafting  it  on  a hardier  stock,  though  its  luxuriant  growth 
may  be  promoted  by  it,  we  doubt  if  our  correspondent  will 
find  the  mildew  less  inclined  to  make  havoc  on  his  foreign 
grapes,  when  worked  on  our  wild  stocks.  If  he  really  wishes 
to  acclimate  the  foreign  grape  here,  he  must  go  to  the  seeds , 
and  raise  two  or  three  new  generations  in  the  American  soil 
and  climate.  They  will  then  get  American  constitutions — 
which  no  grafting,  pruning,  training,  or  manuring  will  give 
them.  The  only  thing  that  he  can  do  for  them,  is  to  cheat 
them  into  the  belief  that  they  are  in  the  warmer  parts  of 
Europe,  by  putting  them  in  a glass  house.  If  any  of  our 
readers  doubt  whether  grafting  can  enfeeble  a healthy  variety, 
they  have  only  to  try  the  experiment  by  taking  that  variety 


92 


APPENDIX. 


and  grafting  it  for  two  or  three  successions  upon  unsuitable 
or  unhealthy  stocks.  We  do  not  mean,  however,  to  assert 
that  grafting  on  healthy  stocks  impairs  the  vigor  of  a sort — 
but  only  that  any  given  variety,  which  has  been  propagated 
in  this  way  time  and  again,  for  100  years,  is  very  likely,  in 
the  course  of  that  time,  to  have  been  put  upon  an  unhealthy 
stock,  and  hence  to  have  lost  some  of  its  original  vigor. 


(From  the  Western  Horticultural  Review.) 

FALSIFICATION  OF  WINES. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  great  importance  our  wine  interest 
is  assuming  among  the  products  of  our  country,  the  miserable 
attempt  to  palm  off  other  brands  at  auction  will  show  how 
highly  ours  are  valued.  An  instance  of  this  kind  has  elicited 
an  explanation  from  Mr.  Longworth,  in  the  New  York  Tri- 
bune, which  is  here  appended  : 

“ Sparkling  Catawba  Wine  of  Cincinnati. 

“A  friend,  recently  from  your  city,  informs  me  that,  at  the 
request  of  Mr.  Leinan,  a wine  merchant  on  Front  street,  in 
your  city,  he  sent  him  a box  of  my  Sparkling  Catawba  wine, 
and  charged  him  the  invariable  price  here— $12 ; and  that 
Mr.  Leinan  expressed  surprise  at  the  price,  as  he  had  recently 
bought  my  wine  at  auction,  in  your  city,  at  $8  per  box.  I 
have  not  yet  been  able  to  supply  the  home  demand  — have 
never  sent  a box  to  New  York,  or  any  other  city,  for  sale. 
Our  merchants,  who  sell  at  $12,  have  a commission.  My 
wine  has  not  only  an  engraved  label  on  each  bottle,  but  ‘ N. 
Longworth,  Cincinnati,’  branded  on  the  end  of  each  cork, 
and  my  name,  and  the  name  of  the  wine,  and  Cincinnati,  with 
a circle  of  bunches  of  grapes  around  it,  on  each  bottle.  My 
wine  never  will  be  sold  at  auction.  I shall  esteem  it  a special 
favor  if  Mr.  Leinan  will  ascertain  who  sent  the  wine  to  auc- 
tion, and  write  me.  That  he  will  also  compare  the  labels  on 


TEMPERANCE  AND  THE  VINE. 


93 


the  bottles,  and  the  brand  on  the  bottom  of  the  cork.  I have 
no  desire  to  have  even  French  Champagne  sold  as  my  Spark- 
ling Catawba.  A merchant  of  our  city  writes  me,  that  he 
was  at  one  of  your  first  hotels,  and  called  for  a bottle  of  my 
Sparkling  Catawba,  which  was  brought  to  him.  That  the 
moment  he  tasted  the  wine,  he  found  it  had  not  the  Catawba 
aroma  and  flavor.  He  examined  the  bottle,  and  found  no 
label  on  it.  He  took  up  the  cork,  and  instead  of  my  brand 
on  its  end,  found  the  name  of  a French  house.  From  the 
character  of  the  hotel,  I am  satisfied  this  was  a mistake  of  the 
waiter,  who  perhaps  had  never  heard  of  Sparkling  Catawba 
wine.  Of  the  flavor  and  aroma  of  my  wine,  each  person  who 
drinks  it  can  judge.  I claim  for  it  one  superiority  over  im- 
ported Champagne.  It  will  be  found  to  suit  the  stomach 
better  and  be  much  healthier.  It  is  the  pure  juice  of  our 
native  Catawba  grape,  with  the  addition  of  the  best  rock 
candy.  The  French  champagne  is  made  from  a mixture  of 
three  or  four  different  wines,  which  never  can  be  healthy  to 
the  stomach.  They  say  one  kind  is  to  give  aroma  and  flavor ; 
another  strength  ; another  effervescence.  If  true,  our  Ca- 
tawba is  superior,  for  it  contains  all  these  properties.  Inte- 
rest may  have  its  influence,  even  in  France,  as  one  of  the 
wines  used  costs  three  times  as  much  as  the  others.  I expect, 
next  summer,  to  have  more  wine  than  will  meet  the  home  de- 
mand, and  shall  then  send  to  the  eastern  and  southern  cities, 
to  wine  merchants,  to  be  sold  at  private  sale,  but  never  at 
auction.  Any  person  who  buys  it,  and  is  dissatisfied  with  its 
quality,  can  return  it  to  the  agent,  and  receive  back  the  full 
sum  paid.  “ N.  Longworth. 


(Prom  the  Western  Horticultural  Review.) 

TEMPERANCE  AND  THE  VINE. 

We  have  long  been  of  opinion,  says  the  Southern  Press,  that 
the  best  remedy  against  the  love  of  strong  drink — a besetting 


94 


APPENDIX. 


sin  with  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  is  the  free  use  of  pure  wine. 
It  is  a remarkable  fact,  that  in  the  wine  districts  of  Europe,  the 
people  are  comparatively  free  from  the  brutal  habit  of  intoxi- 
cation. Among  the  rural  population  of  France,  Italy,  Spain, 
etc.,  the  wholesome  light  wines  in  common  use,  are  considered 
as  essential  to  the  table  as  bread  and  meat.  The  same,  indeed, 
may  be  said  of  all  classes.  We  have  heard  it  remarked  in 
derision,  that  give  a man  of  this  class  a piece  of  bread,  a few 
dry  figs  or  dates,  a little  sweet  oil,  and  a bottle  of  claret,  and 
he  will  feast  like  a lord,  aud  be  happy.  This  mode  of  living 
is  coeval  with  the  introduction  of  the  vine  and  olive  of  those 
countries  ; and  where  a man  is  found  indulging  in  the  use  of 
strong  drinks,  he  is  the  subject  of  remark  and  commiser- 
ation, by  his  friends  and  acquaintances.  A modern  temper- 
ance reformer,  would  probably  obtain  new  and  valuable  ideas 
upon  the  subject,  by  visiting  Havanna.  There,  a temperance 
society,  except  by  American  newspapers,  was  never  heard  of. 
Yet  in  a population  of  nearly  20,000  souls,  it  is  a rare  thing 
to  hear  of  a Creole  or  a Spaniard,  who  is  in  the  habit  of 
using  distilled  spirits.  In  regard  to  wines,  however,  especi- 
ally claret  and  Sauterne,  all  classes  make  free  use  of  them  at 
every  meal. 

We  find  in  the  Horticulturist,  the  following  sensible  re- 
marks : 

“Very  few  Americans,  except  those  who  have  traveled 
abroad,  estimate  properly  the  moral  value  of  pure  light  wines, 
because  pure  wines  very  rarely  find  their  way  across  the 
Atlantic. 

“ As  hocks  or  clarets  contain  only  about  eight  or  nine  per 
cent,  of  alcohol,  they  are  far  more  wholesome  than  coffee, 
and  the  cheap  production  of  such  wines,  will  do  more  to  de- 
crease the  consumption  of  ardent  spirits  than  any  other  cir- 
cumstance. Neither  law  nor  morals  can  be  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  present  age,  so  as  to  force  men  to  be  entirely  temper- 
ate, but  the  introduction  of  wholesome,  pure  light  wines,  at  a 


TEMPERANCE  AND  THE  VINE. 


95 


cheap  rate  will,  as  there  is  abundant  proof  in  the  wine  dis- 
tricts of  Europe.  It  is  for  this  reason,  as  well  as  because  we 
look  upon  it  as  a source  of  national  wealth,  that  we  regard 
the  successful  labors  of  such  men  as  Mr.  Longworth,  in  in- 
troducing and  perfecting  the  wine  culture,  as  worthy  of  the 
highest  public  gratitude.” 


Amherstburg , Canada  West, 

R.  Buchanan,  Esq. : — 

Dear  Sir, — I presented  your  letter  to  Mr.  James  Cousins, 
the  person  on  whose  lands  the  vines  and  cuttings  were  planted, 
distant  some  two  miles  from  here. 

Mr.  C.  says,  they  have  so  far,  proved  a failure  owing  to  the 
extraordinarily  dry  season  in  which  they  were  planted.  In 
fact,  all  the  cuttings  died,  and  also  a great  part  of  the  vines ; 
but  there  are  some  living,  and  doing  well. 

He  is  of  opinion,  that  the  grape  might  be  cultivated  here  to 
great  advantage,  with  the  exception  of  the  foreign  kinds, 
which  generally  mildew.  The  fruit  of  the  Isabella  and 
Catawba  appears  to  ripen  very  well  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  The  soil  is  clay. 

The  winters  are  generally  moderate,  but  the  present  one 
appears  to  be  the  exception  to  the  rule,  for  the  thermometer 
has  stood  as  low  as  17°  below  zero.  If,  therefore,  the  vines 
are  not  affected  by  this  great  degree  of  cold,  we  may  safely 
say  this  part  of  the  country  would  be  well  adapted  to  grape 
culture. 

The  wild  grape  grows  abundantly  here  (small  black  fruit), 
and  I have  tasted  wine  made  from  their  juice,  far  superior  to 
any  Port  we  can  get  here. 

I have  the  honor  to  be,  Dear  Sir, 

Your  obedient,  humble  servant, 

A.  H.  Wagner. 


9 


96 


APPENDIX. 


(Prom  Cist’s  Advertiser.) 

GRAPE  CULTURE  NEAR  READING,  PA. 

The  following  letter  from  the  Reading  correspondent  of  the 
Philadelphia  Ledger , invites  and  deserves  a careful  perusal  in 
this  region,  on  various  accounts  : 

In  the  first  place,  many  interesting  and  valuable  facts  for 
our  vine  growers  are  contributed  from  Berks  county  experi- 
ence. There  can  be  no  doubt  that  much  of  the  character  of 
grapes  is  derived  from  the  subsoil,  and  the  suggestion  on  this 
point,  will  be  worth  attending  to. 

Passing  from  solids  to  jluids,  I would  say  a few  words  on 
the  cultivation  of  the  grape  vines  “ in  these  diggin’s.”  The 
phrase  is  literary  correct ; for  the  vineyards  here  are  all  un- 
dermined by  diggings  for  iron,  and  their  soil  copiously  inter- 
spersed with  large  fragments  of  heavy  iron  ore.  I had  no 
idea  that  such  labor  could  be  performed,  as  has  here  been  ex- 
pended on  the  culture  of  the  grape  ! Mr.  John  Fehr,  our 
industrious  vintner,  of  whose  wines  you  will  have  received  a 
sample,  has  dug  down  his  whole  vineyard  to  the  depth  of 
three  feet,  to  plant  the  Isabella  and  Catawba  grapes,  which 
now  yield  beautifully.  Some  five  or  six  hundred  cart-loads 
iron  ore  had  first  to  be  removed  from  the  soil,  before  the  vines 
could  be  planted. 

The  attempt  to  cultivate  exotic  grapes  has  utterly  failed. 
In  1839,  Mr.  George  Lauer  imported  some  seventeen  thou- 
sand grape  vines,  comprising  nine  different  sorts,  of  the  best 
European  vines ; but  they  all  perished  from  the  vicissitudes 
of  the  climate.  Previously,  in  1831,  Mr.  William  Tibler 
planted  the  Isabella  grape,  indigenous  to  South  Carolina, 
which  produces  largely  and  is  less  sensitive  to  changes  of 
temperature,  and  from  which,  most  of  the  Reading  wine  now 
entering  into  consumption  is  made. 

The  Catawba  grape,  from  North  Carolina,  was  only  intro- 
duced in  1835,  by  Mr.  Gottfried  Pflieger,  but  is  now  about 


MANUFACTURE  OF  WTNE,  AND  ROT  IN  GRAPES. 


io  be  cultivated  on  a large  scale.  The  grape  of  this  vine  is 
more  spicy  than  the  Isabella,  and  the  quality  of  the  wine 
much  superior ; but  its  yield  is  less,  and  its  cultivation  costs 
much  more  labor.  The  Catawba  grape  is  extensively  culti- 
vated in  Ohio  and  Missouri,  and  is  the  grape  from  which  all 
the  better  sorts  of  American  Champagne  are  manufactured. 
It  improves,  like  the  Hock  grape,  for  a period  of  thirty  years, 
after  which  it  declines  and  becomes  gradually  unfit  for  the 
production  of  wine.  The  vineyards  must  then  be  renewed*. 
The  Catawba  and  Isabella  grapes  resemble  the  German  and 
French  grapes  in  many  respects  ; but  their  skins  are  thicker 
and  less  transparent,  and  the  interior  is  more  pulpy,  or 
“ fleshy,”  as  the  Reading  and  Ohio  vintners  call  it.  Cultiva- 
tion will,  no  doubt,  remedy  the  defect.  The  time  of  the  blos- 
soming is  about  the  same  as  in  France  ; but  the  vintage  is  a 
month  earlier.  Where  the  vintner,  in  Germany  and  France 
must  cut  the  leaves  to  afford  sun  for  his  grapes,  the  American 
must  try  to  shade  them  if  he  would  bring  them  to  maturity.. 
For  this  reason,  I suppose,  nature  has  provided  the  Ameri- 
can grape  with  a thicker  and  richer  foliage  than  any  other- 
grape  in  the  world. 

MANUFACTURE  OF  WINE,  AND  ROT  IN  GRAPES. 

To  the  Wine  Committee  of  the  Horticultural  Society,  Cincinnati : 
Gentlemen  : — Each  year’s  experience  proves,  that  too  little 
neatness  and  care  are  generally  observed  in  gathering  and 
selecting  the  fruit,  in  pressing  out  the  juice,  and  having  clean, 
pure  casks,  and  a cool  cellar.  After  racking  in  the  spring,  a 
cool  cellar  is  indispensable,  and  few  if  any  of  our  common 
cellars,  are  cool  enough.  They  are  too  much  affected  by  the 
outward  air,  and  all  jarring  from  the  passage  of  wagons,  or 
other  causes,  is  injurious.  The  casks,  after  racking  in  the 
spring,  should  be  always  kept  full  and  air-tight.  We  espe- 
cially err  in  gathering  our  grapes  too  soon.  We  should  never 


98 


APPENDIX. 


do  this  until  they  have  reached  their  utmost  maturity,  unless 
they  should  be  seized  by  the  rot. 

I formerly  supposed  (being  influenced  by  the  opinion  ul 
foreign  writers),  that  every  object  could  be  obtained  by  the 
addition  of  good  sugar.  Experience  convinces  me  of  the 
contrary.  Sugar  will  be  converted  into  alcohol,  and  give 
strength  to  the  wine.  But  it  will  not  give  the  same  richness  of 
aroma  and  flavor  as  the  fruit,  so  ripe  as  to  require  no  sugar. 

In  some  parts  of  Europe,  to  give  richness  to  their  wines, 
they  gather  their  fruit  and  partially  dry  them  before  pressing, 
to  carry  off  the  watery  particles  from  the  fruit.  This  wine 
sells  at  a high  price.  Before  gathering  the  fruit,  its  richness 
should  be  ascertained,  as  its  color  is  no  certain  indication. 
This  richness,  when  the  maturity  is  the  same,  will  vary  in 
different  varieties.  To  test  its  maturity,  press  out  a tumbler 
full  of  must,  and  if  you  have  no  saccharometer,  put  in  it  a 
fresh  laid  hen’s  egg.  If  of  proper  maturity,  the  egg  will  then 
rise  the  size  of  a quarter  of  a dollar  above  the  juice.  If  not 
rich,  it  will  sink.  The  Catawba  should,  in  favorable  seasons, 
weigh  from  90  to  97  degrees,  by  our  saccharometers. 

Many  use  fresh  brandy  pipes,  to  put  their  must  or  wines  in. 
They  are  destructive  to  the  aroma  and  flavor  of  the  wine. 
Alcohol  should  never  be  added,  unless  the  wine  be  too  weak 
to  keep,  and  when  this  is  done,  it  should  be  distilled  from  the 
same  kind  of  wine.  If  not,  you  injure  its  aroma  and  flavor. 
Spirit  is  never  necessary,  when  the  fruit  is  matured,  unless  it 
be  in  a hot  climate.  Then  it  seems  to  be  indispensable,  as 
the  following  hot  season  brings  on  the  acetous  fermentation. 
An  intelligent  gentleman  of  South  Carolina,  Mr.  Guignard, 
and  another  friend,  both  wrote  to  me  to  this  effect.  So  much 
so  does  the  value  of  the  wine  depend  on  the  maturity  of  the 
fruit,  and  great  neatness  in  manufacture,  that  in  buying,  this 
winter,  from  a person  in  the  vicinity  of  Louisville,  I paid  him 
for  his  new  wine,  three  times  the  sum  that  I paid  him  for  his 
wine  made  in  the  year  1848.  When  that  was  made,  he 


MANUFACTURE  OF  WINE,  AND  ROT  IN  GRAPES. 


99 


acknowledged  he  was  not  aware  of  the  great  importance  of 
having  his  fruit  fully  matured,  and  the  great  care  necessary 
in  separating  green,  decayed,  and  rotten  grapes,  and  neatness 
in  manufacture.  The  only  object  in  buying  his  wine  of  1848, 
was  to  distil]  it  into  brandy.  One  great  advantage  that  our 
native  wine  will  have,  is  its  being  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape. 
In  Europe,  total  changes  are  wrought  in  the  wines  in  the  mer- 
chants’ wine-cellars.  And  we  are  so  much  the  creatures  of 
habit,  that  for  many  years  we  gave  a preference  to  those  wines 
of  Madeira,  that  had  the  strong  fetid  flavor  which  they  de- 
rived from  the  old  goat-skins  in  which  the  must  was  carried 
from  the  mountains,  on  mules,  to  the  cellars  of  the  wine-mer- 
chants at  Funchal. 

I yesterday  had  wines  offered  me  for  sale,  when  one  of  the 
persons  made  an  observation,  that  revived  recollections  of  a 
few  years  past.  The  wine  of  one  of  the  persons  was  of  fair 
quality,  and  he  offered  it  to  me  at  little  more  than  half  the 
price  fixed  by  the  other.  Yet  such  was  the  quality  of  the 
400  gallons  of  the  latter  person,  that  even  a Jerseyman  could 
not  try  to  buy  cheaper,  and  I promptly  complied  with  his 
terms.  Better  Catawba  wine  I have  never  seen.  I inquired 
if  his  grapes  rotted  the  past  season.  He  replied  not,  and  that 
the  rot  in  the  vineyards  of  all  his  neighbors  had  been  severe. 
I observed,  yours  must  be  a sandy  soil,  or  more  porous  than 
your  neighbors.  He  replied,  a stiff  subsoil  of  clay,  the  same 
as  his  neighbors.  That  he  could  give  but  one  cause  for  his 
success.  That  before  the  rot  began,  his  time  had  been  so 
much  taken  up  by  his  farm,  that  he  neglected  to  hoe  his  vine- 
yard, and  it  was  filled  with  grass  and  weeds.  Finding  his 
not  to  rot,  while  the  well-hoed  vineyards  of  his  neighbors  suf- 
fered severely  by  the  rot,  he  left  all  standing  and  had  a full 
crop,  and  left  his  grapes  until  fully  ripe,  and  when  he  did 
gather  them,  did  it  from  a fear  of  injury  from  frost,  and 
thought  the  yield  as  large  as  it  would  have  been  had  he 
gathered  his  grapes  earlier.  I recollect,  some  years  since. 


100 


APPENDIX. 


when  my  vineyards  suffered  severely  from  the  rot,  some  of  my 
lazy  tenants,  who  left  half  their  vineyards  in  grass  and  weeds, 
which  escaped  the  rot,  while  the  clean  vineyards  of  their 
neighbors  adjoining,  and  their  own  portion  cleaned,  suffered 
badly  from  the  rot,  attributed  their  escape  to  their  idleness  in 
not  cleaning  their  vineyards.  I was  and  am  unwilling  to 
believe  this  ; 

“ But  facts  are  chiels  that  winna  ding, 

And  dinna  be  disputed.” 

I can  scarcely  believe  this,  for  though  I cannot  fuiiy  believe 
the  doctrine,  that  every  act  of  an  idle  sinner  is  hateful  in  the 
eyes  of  his  Creator,  I am  slow  to  believe  that  he  holds  out 
inducements  to  idleness.  His  long  forbearance  and  mercy  to 
idle  sinners  compels  me  to  believe  he  shows  more  mercy  to 
them,  and  views  their  transgressions  with  more  lenity,  and 
makes  more  allowance  for  their  bumps,  natural  propensities, 
education  and  examples,  than  their  more  fortunate  and  perfect 
fellow- mortals.  But  I would  still  call  the  attention  of  vine- 
dressers to  the  subject,  as  worthy  of  note.  I believe  each 
year’s  experience  confirms  the  opinion,  that  a sandy  or  porous 
soil  suffers  but  little  from  the  rot.  A thorough  draining,  in 
our  subsoils  of  clay,  may  produce  the  same  effect. 

N.  Longworth. 


j 

COMMUNICATION  FROM  N.  LONGWORTH, 

Read  October  21^,  and  ordered  to  be  appended  tc  the 

Report  of  the  Committee  on  Fruits. 

TO  THE  CINCINNATI  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

Gentlemen, — I objected  to  the  Report  of  our  Fruit  Com- 
mittee, in  giving,  as  the  cause  of  the  rot  in  our  grapes,  “their 
location  being  in  confined  situations,  not  fully  exposed  to  the 
air,  and  their  proximity  to  orchards  or  woods.”  My  experi- 
ence is  the  reverse,  as  regards  a full  exposure  to  the  air, 


COMMUNICATION  FROM  N.  LONGWORTH, 


10 


though  I do  not  consider  that  the  location,  as  to  air,  either 
causes  or  prevents  the  rot. 

Most  of  my  vineyards  at  Tusculum  are  on  a high  hill,  and 
or  its  sides,  fully  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air,  and  facing  east, 
west,  north,  and  south,  with  no  tall  trees  in  the  vicinity.  Yet  in 
all  these  vineyards  the  rot  has  prevailed,  and  this  season  two- 
thirds  of  the  crop  was  lost.  The  subsoil  is  a stiff  clay  ; and 
to  this  I chiefly  attribute  the  rot.  Among  my  vines  near  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  where  the  ground  was  more  porous,  there 
was  less  rot ; and  in  the  bottom,  or  near  it,  where  the  rain 
immediately  sank  deep  in  the  earth,  there  was  no  rot.  And 
this  I have  found  to  be  the  case  at  other  vineyards.  Where 
the  subsoil  was  a compact  clay,  the  rot  prevailed.  Where 
the  subsoil  was  mixed  with  sand  or  gravel,  or  where  it  was 
porous,  there  was  no  rot. 

I have  for  the  past  five  years  believed  that  the  land  in 
Kentucky,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Ohio,  would  be  prefer- 
able, for  the  grape  culture,  to  our  own.  The  soil  on  that  side 
of  the  river  is  in  many  situations  sandy,  and  the  rain  passes 
freely  through  it.  The  consequence  is,  they  supply  our  mar- 
ket with  strawberries  a week  earlier  than  we  can  raise  them 
on  our  side  of  the  river ; and  most,  if  not  all  their  vineyards, 
are  planted  in  soil  of  this  character ; and  I have  heard  of  no 
serious  loss  by  the  rot  on  the  Kentucky  side.  On  inquiry 
of  our  intelligent  Germans,  I find  their  experience  coincides 
with  mine.  In  their  vineyards,  the  rot  injured  them  the  least 
where  the  ground  was  porous,  or  the  water,  from  the  decliv- 
ity of  the  ground,  passes  off  speedily;  or  if  the  subsoil  was 
a clay,  and  it  was  mixed  with  stone,  which  caused  the  water 
to  sink  speedily.  One  of  my  vineyards  at  Tusculum  suffered 
but  little  from  the  rot,  and  this  was  on  land  where  the  sub- 
soil was  a stiff,  damp  clay,  and  near  to  the  forest.  The  Ger- 
man who  cultivates  it  is  a perfect  “swoab,”  a very  ignorant 
man.  He,  however,  was  able  to  give  the  reason  for  his 
escape  from  the  rot.  He  “prepared  his  ground  and  planted 


102 


APPENDIX. 


his  grapes  just  so  as  he  did  in  Germany.”  His  vineyard  is 
on  the  top  and  sides  of  a high  hill,  descending  both  to  the 
north  and  south.  He  trenched  his  ground,  throwing  up  the 
earth  from  each  side,  making  beds  fifteen  feet  wide,  with  deep 
trenches  on  each  side,  and  the  trenches  having  a quick  descent 
for  water  down  the  hill,  north  and  south.  On  these  ridges  he 
planted  three  rows  of  grapes.  The  consequence  was,  that  no 
water  lay  on  the  surface,  or  had  time  to  saturate  the  clay 
beneath,  but  speedily  passed  into  the  trenches,  and  from 
them  rapidly  down  the  hill.  On  inquiry,  I learned  the  part 
of  Germany  he  came  from  had  a subsoil  of  stiff  clay,  in  con- 
sequence of  which  all  their  vineyards  were  graded  in  like 
manner.  Nine-tenths  of  our  “ swoabs,”  in  all  their  business 
and  pursuits  in  life,  must  do  it  “just  so  as  they  did  it  in 
Germany,”  without  any  change  for  soil  or  climate ; and  the 
result  is  not  always  as  favorable  as  it  was  with  my  tenant. 

But  I would  not  be  understood  as  saying,  that  other  causes 
may  not  also  operate  more  or  less  in  causing  the  rot.  One 
reason  for  believing  that  other  causes  may  operate  is,  that 
previous  to  the  last  six  or  eight  years,  we  had  much  less  of 
the  rot,  yet  our  soil  was  then  the  same,  and  our  rains  as  fre- 
quent and  heavy.  But  the  rot  should  not  discourage  us. 
After  losing  two-thirds  of  their  crops,  my  tenants,  the  past 
season,  made  upward  of  nine  thousand  gallons  of  wine,  and 
most  vineyards  escaped  much  better  than  mine,  and  many 
had  no  rot  whatever. 

In  Germany,  our  vine-dressers  assure  us,  the  crop  is  not 
more  certain  than  with  us,  though  they  are  but  little  troubled 
with  the  rot.  Their  seasons  are  much  shorter  than  ours,  and 
their  crops  are  often  destroyed  by  their  early  frosts.  My 
wine-cooper  informs  me  that  before  he  left  France,  they  had 
lost  four  crops  in  succession,  and  many  of  the  poor,  owning 
small  vineyards,  had  cut  them  up,  and  planted  vegetables  in 
their  place.  I am  informed,  by  intelligent  Germans,  that  the 
same  would  be  done  in  Germany,  if  the  poor  vine-dressera 


COMMUNICATION  FROM  N.  LONGWORTH. 


103 


were  allowed  to  do  it.  But  the  vine-dressers,  both  of  Ger- 
many and  Spain,  have  a greater  evil  to  contend  with.  In  a 
season  when  the  yield  is  abundant,  so  low  is  the  price  of  wine 
in  Germany,  that  if  you  will  take  two  empty  casks  to  the 
press,  you  will  be  allowed  to  carry  away  one  of  them  filled 
from  the  press.  In  Spain  the  evil  is  still  greater.  Mr.  Sam- 
uel E.  Foote,  who  was  many  years  purchasing  wine  in  Spain, 
informs  me  that  he  paid  the  cooper  $13  for  wine  pipes,  and 
the  vine-dresser  $5  for  filling  them. 

Mr.  Kehfuss  recently  imported  from  Germany  the  instru- 
ments used  there  for  testing  the  saccharine  quality  of  the 
must,  and  the  strength  of  the  wine  when  fully  fermented. 
The  result  surprised  me.  Our  must  this  season  ranged  from 
80  to  101  degrees.  I am  informed,  by  intelligent  German  vine- 
dressers and  wine-coopers,  that  in  Germany  it  ranges  from  70 
to  90.  Many  are  under  the  impression  that  the  grape,  farther 
south,  possesses  more  of  the  saccharine  principle  than  it  does 
with  us.  I believe  this  is  never  the  case ; and  if  it  is,  it  is 
more  than  counterbalanced  by  their  vintage  coming  on  in  the 
heat  of  summer,  and  the  grape  possessing  a larger  portion  of 
the  fermenting  principle.  Very  few,  if  any,  of  our  wine- 
coopers  now  add  sugar  to  the  must;  yet  our  wines,  in  tight 
casks  and  cool  cellars,  keep  sound  for  years,  without  any 
addition.  But  the  casks  should  be  kept  full,  to  guard  against 
accident. 

I corresponded  for  several  years  with  Mr.  M’Call,  who 
cultivated  the  grape  for  wine,  near  Dublin,  Georgia.  He 
informed  me  that  he  was  in  the  constant  habit  of  adding 
from  2 to  2-|  lbs.  of  sugar  to  the  gallon  of  must,  of  the 
Schuylkill  Muscadel  (Cape)  and  Catawba  grape;  and  fre- 
quently found  it  insufficient  to  prevent  his  wine  from  running 
into  the  acetous  fermentation.  I know  that  Mr.  Herbemont, 
of  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  was  in  the  habit  of  adding  as 
much  sugar  to  his  must;  yet  when  his  wine  was  offered  for 


104 


APPENDIX. 


sale  at  public  auction  soon  after  his  death,  most  of  it  was 
turned  to  vinegar,  or  undergoing  the  acetous  fermentation. 

The  pure  dry  wines  of  Germany  weigh  from  four  to  seven 
degrees,  in  general.  The  wines  of  Madeira  weigh  from  twenty 
to  twenty-five.  This  is  occasioned  by  the  quantity  of  brandy 
added.  In  their  hot  climate,  I believe  it  is  necessary,  to  pre- 
vent the  acetous  fermentation.  If  not,  they  would  not  add 
any  brandy,  or  not  so  large  a quantity. — N.  Longworth. 


NATIVE  GRAPES. 

To  the  Editors  of  the  Cincinnati  Gazette  : — 

Messrs.  Editors. — I requested  last  spring,  in  your  paper, 
that  persons  having  any  new  variety  of  the  native  grape, 
would  do  me  the  favor  to  forward  me  cuttings,  that  I might 
test  their  quality  both  for  the  table,  and  for  wine. 

The  communication  was  extensively  republished  in  most 
parts  of  the  Union,  and  the  result  was  that  twenty-four  varie- 
ties were  sent  me  in  February  and  March  last.  I grafted 
them,  and  also  planted  cuttings.  Most  of  the  grafts  are  now 
in  fruit,  and  from  the  wood  and  leaf,  about  one-fourth  of  them 
promise  to  be  of  superior  quality.  All  of  them  are  new  in 
this  vicinity,  but  two,  the  Olmstead  and  Minor’s  Seedling. 
Both  of  these  are  Fox  grapes.  The  fruit  of  the  first,  I have 
not  seen  ; the  second,  is  the  best  Fox  grape  that  I have  seen. 
The  pulp  is  unusually  soft,  for  that  family,  and  the  grape  re- 
markably sweet,  though  it  does  not  contain  as  much  sacchar- 
ine matter  as  some  grapes  less  sweet  to  the  taste.  It  is  not  a 
great  bearer,  though  it  bears  uncommonly  well  for  a grape  of 
that  class. 

The  Fox  grape  may  never  be  valuable  for  a wine  grape, 
except  to  mix  with  others,  to  give  aroma  and  flavor.  I re- 
ceived cuttings  of  several  varieties  of  Fox  grapes,  and  the 
stem  and  leaf  of  most  of  them  are  so  strongly  Fox,  that  they 
cannot  be  valuable.  In  my  boyhood,  I thought  this  grap'" 


NATIVE  GRAPES. 


105 


the  most  delicious  of  all  fruits,  and  found  some  that  bore  a 
fair  crop.  This  vine  is  easily  distinguished  from  all  others. 
The  leaf  is  like  leather — thick,  and  of  a white  color  on  the 
under  side,  and  downy,  and  the  new  wood  covered  with  a 
hairy  down,  generally  of  a reddish  cast.  It  is  a great  objec- 
tion to  it,  that  the  fruit  drops  on  the  ground  as  soon  as  it  is 
ripe.  I rank  the  common  class  as  about  equal  to  the  Black 
Scuppernong  of  North  Carolina  (the  Muscadine  of  the  Missis- 
sippi), from  which,  it  appears,  a superior  wine  is  made  in 
North  Carolina,  by  putting  three  pounds  of  sugar  to  the  gallon, 
and  sold  for  $4  per  gallon,  and  from  two  thousand  to  three 
thousand  gallons  are  raised  on  an  acre.  Further,  a Horticul- 
turist there,  tells  us,  he  also  makes  wine  from  the  green  grape ; 
the  same  person  who  raises  so  large  a quantity,  Mr.  Alves, 
of  Kentucky  (formerly  of  North  Carolina),  tells  me  they  put 
from  one-fourth  to  one-third  of  spirits  to  the  gallon,  and  sell 
the  wine  from  seventy-five  cents  to  one  dollar  per  gallon  ; a 
wide  difference  in  price  this.  The  North  Carolina  Horticul- 
turist seems  learned  in  the  manufacture  of  foreign  wines,  as 
he  tells  us  that  one-third  of  Brandy  is  added  to  Port,  Malm- 
sey, and  Madeira  wines.  This  will  be  news  indeed,  to  the 
European  wine  merchants. 

The  black  Scuppernong  bears  from  one  to  four  berries  on  a 
bunch,  and  would,  in  times  of  war,  if  lead  be  scarce,  be  as 
valuable,  even  when  fully  ripe,  as  the  Fox  grape,  for  bullets. 
The  white  Scuppernong,  also,  has  a very  small  bunch,  and  is 
a better  grape  than  the  black.  But  the  skin  is  thick,  and  the 
pulp  hard  ; it  will  never  be  valuable  as  a wine  grape,  unless 
to  give  to  other  must,  aroma  and  flavor. 

Our  vineyards  may  have  produced  800  and  possibly  1000 
gallons  on  an  acre,  but  no  vineyard  has  averaged  300  gallons 
for  ten  years.  I believe  ground,  with  a mixture  of  sand,  or 
such  as  will  freely  let  the  rains  sink,  will  be  less  subject  to 
rot,  and  average  double  the  crop  produced,  where  the  sub- 
soil is  a stiff  clay. 


106 


APPENDIX. 


I shall  be  gratified  to  receive  letters  from  all  persons  having 
new  varieties  of  hardy  grapes  in  their  vicinity,  describing  the 
character  of  the  wood  and  leaf,  color,  size,  and  quality  of  the 
fruit,  etc.  After  importing  foreign  grapes  for  thirty  years, 
from  all  latitudes,  I have  never  found  one  worthy  of  cultiva- 
tion in  open  air,  nor  do  we  require  them.  We  have  native 
grapes  of  superior  quality,  both  for  the  table  and  for  wine ; 
and  by  raising  seedlings  from  our  best  natives,  and  from  a 
cross  between  them  and  the  best  foreign,  we  can  greatly  im- 
prove them.  We  have  neglected  our  native  grapes. 

Forty-five  years  since,  I heard  of  a superior  grape  in  the 
garden  of  Mr.  Zane,  of  Wheeling,  found  by  him  in  a wild 
state  on  Wheeling  Island.  I sent  for  cuttings,  and  found  the 
grape  of  no  value.  I heard  of  a person  in  Kentucky,  who 
had  it,  and  that  it  proved  of  good  quality.  I obtained  cut- 
tings, and  it  proved  to  be  the  Yevay,  or  Cape  (Schuylkill 
Muscadel)  grape.  I am  now  satisfied  that  neither  was  the 
Zane  grape.  I,  this  spring,  had  cuttings  sent  me,  from  a vine 
got  of  Mr.  Zane,  some  thirty  years  since,  and  which  has 
never  got  out  of  the  neighborhood,  and  which  I doubt  not 
will  prove  of  superior  quality. 

A native  grape,  of  different  aroma  and  flavor,  and  in  all 
respects  equal  to  the  Catawba,  would  be  worth  millions  of 
dollars  to  the  nation.  If  my  correspondents  do  not  err,  some 
of  the  kinds  sent  me  are  superior.  The  origin  of  the  Catawba 
is  in  doubt.  Major  Adlum  first  brought  it  into  notice,  having 
found  it  some  twenty-five  years  since,  in  the  garden  of  a Ger- 
man, near  Washington  city. 

I received  recently,  an  interesting  letter  from  Mr.  Alves, 
of  Henderson,  Kentucky.  He  was  born  in  North  Carolina, 
and  says  he  heard  of  the  Catawba'grape  in  the  upper  part  of 
North  Carolina,  forty  years  ago,  and  that  it  was  discovered 
near  the  Catawba  river,  from  which  it  derived  its  name.  A 
grape,  precisely  the  same,  is  said  to  have  been  discovered  in 
a wild  state,  a few  years  since,  in  Pennsylvania.  I have  one 


NATIVE  GRAPES. 


107 


from  the  south-west,  of  the  same  color,  aroma,  and  flavor, 
but  smaller,  and  the  vine  of  slow  growth,  and  a poor  bearer ; 
and  one  bearing  much  larger  fruit,  of  precisely  the  same 
character,  but  inferior.  I discovered  it  in  the  center  of  my 
vineyards,  and  know  not  how  it  came  there. 

My  oldest  vine-dresser,  Father  Ammen,  has  gone  the  way 
of  all  flesh,  and  I regret  his  end.  He  was  a worthy  old  man. 
Some  twelve  years  since,  he  lost  his  wife,  and  deeply  regretted 
her  loss.  He  assured  me,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  “ she  was 
just  so  good  in  the  vineyard  as  one  man,  and  he  might  just 
so  well  have  lost  his  horse.”  He  got  a second  wife,  but  she 
was  of  hasty  temper,  and  gave  the  old  man  as  good  as  he 
sent.  Finally,  she  told  him,  if  he  would  give  her  five  dollars, 
she  would  leave  him,  and  never  see  him  more.  “ Give  you 
five  dollars  !”  said  the  old  man  : “ I will  do  no  such  thing; 
but  if  you  go  and  never  come  back,  I will  give  you  ten  dol- 
lars.” The  money  was  paid,  and  the  old  man  was  relieved 
of  that  trouble  ; but  one  that  he  deemed  greater  came.  I 
have  heretofore  said,  that  after  being  my  tenant  ten  years, 
he  was  ruined  by  selling  his  share  of  the  crop  for  eight  hun- 
dred dollars.  He  cleared  out ; went  to  the  north  part  of  the 
state  ; bought  land,  and  planted  a vineyard.  The  location 
was  too  far  north.  His  vines  were  killed,  and  he  came  back 
a poor  man,  and  began  a new  vineyard  on  a farm  of  mine, 
adjoining  his  old  one,  on  which  his  son-in-law  has  resided 
since  he  left  it.  This  year  his  vineyard  came  into  bearing, 
and  the  old  man’s  heart  rejoiced  to  think  that  he  should  again 
be  able  to  sit  under  the  shade  of  his  favorite  tree,  and  enliven 
his  heart  with  wine  of  his  own  making.  But,  alas ! the  rot 
came,  and  blasted  his  prospects.  He  became  dispirited  ; 
which,  the  cholera  discovering,  a few  days  since,  seized  his 
victim.  He  was  taken  to  the  house  of  his  son-in-law  (for  he 
lived  alone,  and  I could  not  prevail  on  him  to  take  a Frau 
for  the  third  time),  when  they  urged  him  to  take  medicine, 
out  he  refused.  He  was  told  if  he  did  not,  in  a few  hours 


108 


APPENDIX. 


he  must  die.  “What  I care?”  said  the  old  man,  “I  take 
none.  What  I want  to  live  for?  My  grapes  all  rotten.”  A 
few  hours,  and  he  was  no  more.  Peace  to  his  ashes. 

N.  Longworth. 


MANUFACTURE  OF  NATIVE  WINE. 

Gentlemen  of  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society : 

The  season  for  our  vintage  is  approaching,  and  the  quality 
of  the  wine  depends  mainly  on  the  period  of  gathering  the 
grapes,  and  the  care  and  neatness  exercised  in  the  manufac- 
ture, and  the  selection  of  the  casks  : skill  has  little  to  do  with 
it.  To  make  good  butter,  is  apparently  one  of  the  most  sim- 
ple employments  ; yet  not  one  dairy-woman  in  ten  makes  but- 
ter of  the  first  quality  ; while  the  best  commands  twenty-five 
cents  per  pound,  the  poorest  has  a dull  sale  at  half  price. 

The  first  error  is  gathering  the  grapes  too  soon.  This  sea- 
son has  been  a severe  one  on  our  grape  crop,  yet  from  the  in- 
creased number  of  vineyards  now  in  bearing,  I believe  the 
vintage  will  be  greater  this  season  than  last.  A late  frost  was 
very  destructive  in  our  vineyards,  and  the  summer  rot  more 
so.  From  the  first,  vines  often  recover.  One  person  informed 
me  the  frost  killed  all  the  young  shoots,  and  his  vine-dresser 
cleared  out  in  despair,  but  that  the  dormant  shoots  put  out 
with  great  vigor,  and  from  one  acre  and  one-third  he  expected 
to  make  1,600  gallons  of  wine.  If  this  prove  true,  the  frost 
has  to  him  been  a blessing  ; for  I have  never  yet  known  1,000 
gallons  to  be  made  from  an  acre. 

If  -we  want  large  crops,  we  must  go  to  the  fertile  lands  of 
North  Carolina,  where,  from  their  famous  Scuppernong,  they 
make  from  2,000  to  3,000  gallons  per  acre.  This  is  truly  mi- 
raculous. I have  known  a bunch  of  our  Catawba  grape,  to 
have  150  berries,  and  weigh  twenty-four  ounces.  On  the 
Scuppernong,  the  yield  is  from  two  to  eight  berries.  The 
price  is  in  proportion.  We  add  no  sugar,  and  sell  our  wine 


MANUFACTURE  OF  NATIVE  WINE. 


10& 


from  one  dollar  to  one  dollar  twenty-five  cents  per  gallon. 
They  add  three  pounds  of  sugar  to  the  gallon,  and,  strange  to 
tell,  make  a Hock  wine  (which  is  a hard,  dry  wine),  and  sell 
it  for  four  dollars  per  gallon. 

Injurious  as  we  found  the  frost,  the  rot  has  been  more  de- 
structive. But  the  experience  of  this  year  will  confirm  the 
opinion,  that  the  rot  is  occasioned  by  a stiff  subsoil  of  clay, 
through  which  the  water  cannot  pass  freely.  In  our  sandy 
soils  there  has  been  but  little  rot ; and  in  many,  none.  On 
our  rich,  deep-soiled  bottoms,  the  rot  has  been  less  than  on 
our  side  hills.  The  first  error  we  commit,  is  gathering  our 
grapes  too  soon,  and  before  the  saccharine  principle  is  fully  de- 
veloped. Last  season,  some  of  the  must  of  Mr.  Rehfuss, 
weighed  101,  while  that  from  some  other  vineyards  weighed 
from  sixty-five  to  eighty  only.  The  best  average  about  nine- 
ty-five. In  Germany,  superintendents  have  this  subject  in 
charge,  in  the  several  districts,  and  they  name  the  day  on 
which  the  vintage  is  to  commence.  I presume  this  is  to  pre- 
vent ignorant  vine-dressers  from  gathering  their  grapes  too 
soon,  as  they  are  anxious  to  save  a loss  in  quantity.  This 
creates  as  great  an  evil  as  it  is  intended  to  remedy.  All  vine- 
yards do  not  mature  their  fruit  at  the  same  time  ; and  often, 
in  the  same  neighborhood,  one  vineyard  will  mature  its  fruit 
a week  earlier  than  another.  The  ripest  bunches  only  should 
be  picked  at  the  first  vintage  ; and  all  rotten,  defective,  and 
green  grapes,  carefully  picked  out.  The  grapes  should  not 
be  gathered  till  the  dew  is  off.  A second  picking  should  be 
made  some  eight  or  ten  days  later,  when,  with  great  care  in 
picking  out  rotten,  decayed,  and  green  berries,  wine  equal  to 
the  first  may  be  made.  The  rejected  grapes  from  both  pick- 
ings, will  make  a common  wine,  but  will  be  improved  by  add- 
ing eight  or  ten  ounces  of  sugar  to  the  gallon  of  must. 

The  press  and  casks  should  be  clean.  Even  fresh  brandy 
and  Madeira  wine-casks  should  be  carefully  cleansed,  to  take 
out  all  the  taste  of  those  liquors  ; the  casks  placed  in  a cool 


110 


APPENDIX. 


place,  where  there  is  a circulation  of  fresh  air,  for  fermenta- 
tion ; the  bung  being  left  out  after  the  fermentation  com- 
mences, till  it  abates,  when  the  bung  should  be  put  in  tight, 
and  a spile-hole  made,  and  air  given  from  it,  two  or  three 
times  per  day,  and  as  soon  as  it  can  be  done  safely,  all  air 
excluded  till  the  wine  is  clear,  when  it  should  be  racked 
off.  I would  sooner  pay  seventy-five  cents  per  gallon  for 
must  weighing  ninety-five,  than  five  cents  for  one  weighing 
seventy-five. 

In  the  manufacture  of  wine  in  Europe,  in  times  past,  the 
grapes  were  always  mashed  with  the  feet  before  pressing,  and 
in  many  places,  the  same  practice  still  continues.  We  have  been 
inclined  to  attribute  this  practice  to  their  ignorance,  and  want 
of  cleanliness.  I believe,  however,  that,  like  many  other  old 
customs,  we  now  treat  with  ridicule,  the  practice  was  impor- 
tant to  the  manufacture  of  good  wine.  My  attention  was  first 
drawn  to  the  subject  by  Mr.  Wm.  Hatch,  who  stated,  that  in 
manufacturing  wine  from  the  Catawba  grape,  where  pressed 
with  little  or  no  mashing,  the  wine  contained  but  little  of  the 
muscadine  aroma  and  flavor.  On  inquiring  of  my  manufac- 
turer of  sparkling  Catawba,  I learn  that  the  same  opinion 
prevails  in  the  wine  countries  of  Europe,  and  in  consequence, 
the  machine  for  mashing  the  grape  is  but  little  used  in  France. 
In  the  manufacture  of  Catawba  wine,  it  is  a great  object  fully 
to  develop  its  muscadine  flavor,  as  it  is  always  retained  in 
the  wine  after  the  most  perfect  fermentation.  I would,  there- 
fore, recommend,  even  where  they  pass  through  a machine, 
that  they  be  further  mashed  by  pounding,  using  care  not  to 
crack  the  seed,  or  much  bruise  the  stalks.  By  mashing,  the 
pink  color  is,  also,  in  part,  brought  out.  The  muscadine  fla- 
vor adds  greatly  to  the  value  of  the  wine,  and  where  not  fully 
developed,  will  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  wine  is  not 
pure.  Where  it  exists  in  its  full  strength,  it  will  always  be 
evidence  of  the  purity  of  the  wine,  as  the  aroma  and  flavor 
are  peculiar,  and  cannot  be  successfully  imitated.  The  ma 


STEMMING  AND  MASHING  GRAPES. 


Ill 


chine  in  use  for  mashing  grapes,  does  not  separate  the  stems 
from  the  mashed  berries.  I would  draw  the  attention  of  our 
ingenious  mechanics,  to  induce  them  to  add  such  an  addition 
to  the  present  machine. 

Respectfully, 

Sept.  14,  1849.  1ST.  Long  worth. 

APPARATUS  FOR  STEMMING  AND  MASHING  GRAPES. 

Latonia,  February  18 thy 

R.  Buchanan,  Esq.:  — 

Dear  Sir, — In  a letter  addressed  to  the  Horticultural  So- 
ciety of  this  city,  by  Mr.  Longworth,  some  time  last  fall,  he 
expressed  the  opinion  that  two  essential  requisites  were  yet 
needed,  to  complete  the  process  of  making  wine  from  the  Ca- 
tawba grape  ; one  of  these  was  a method  by  which  the  grape 
could  be  separated  from  the  stem,  and  the  other  was  to 
impart  the  peculiar  perfume  or  aroma  of  the  fruit  to  the 
wine. 

Before  I had  seen  Mr.  Longworth’s  letter,  my  father  had 
resolved  to  adopt  a method  for  accomplishing  both  of  these 
objects,  by  a very  simple  process,  which  has  been  pursued  by 
our  family  and  others,  in  the  vicinity  of  Tours  (in  France), 
for  several  generations  past,  in  the  manufacture  of  wine. 
The  method  is  exceedingly  simple,  and  is  probably  the  only 
one  that  can  be  applied  successfully  to  a large  crop.  Various 
attempts  have  been  made,  in  this  vicinity,  to  accomplish  the 
desired  object,  but  they  have  invariably  failed  ; the  only  sure 
method,  it  being  supposed,  was,  to  pick  the  fruit  from  the 
stems  by  hand  : this  tedious  process  could,  of  course,  only 
be  adopted  with  small  quantities  of  grapes.  My  father’s  me- 
thod is  remarkable  for  its  rapidity,  and  the  perfect  manner 
in  which  the  grape  is  separated  from  the  stem  ; the  unu- 
sial  excellence  of  our  wine  made  by  this  process  the  last 
season,  bearing  ample  testimony  to  the  usefulness  of  the 
method. 

10 


112 


APPENDIX. 


There  are  many  who  think  it  not  only  a matter  of  indiffer- 
ence whether  the  fruit  is  pressed  with  the  stem  or  not,  but 
some  venture  to  assume  that  the  astringent  principle  contained 
in  the  stem,  is  essential  to  the  preservation  of  the  wine. 
From  all  these  views,  I dissent,  and  take  the  ground  that 
nothing  but  the  'perfectly  ripe  grape  itself  should  be  subjected 
to  pressure : and  our  wine  manufacturers  will,  I predict, 
find  this  opinion  correct  after  they  have  had  sufficient  time 
to  test  it. 

The  usefulness  of  the  apparatus  alluded  to,  depends  more 
upon  the  method  of  using  it,  than  upon  the  article  itself  — it 
being  mainly  a manual  process,  facilitated  by  the  use  of  a 
screen  of  wire,  so  arranged  that  sufficient  space  is  allowed  for 
the  operator  to  extend  his  arms  freely,  and  with  the  aid  of 
hand-pieces,  the  grapes  are  made  to  pass  with  great  rapidity 
through  the  screen,  entirely  separated  from  the  stem.  It  is 
difficult  to  describe  the  process  on  paper ; in  fact,  it  can  only 
be  understood  practically  by  witnessing  the  operation. 

The  crushing  and  attrition  of  the  grape  by  this  method  are 
such  as  to  bruise  and  rub  the  skin  of  the  fruit,  without  break- 
ing the  seed,  and  thus  impart  the  aroma  to  the  wine. 

In  addition  to  the  stemming  process,  we  pass  all  our  grapes 
through  the  “rollers,”  in  a small  wooden  mill,  before  pressing. 

Respectfully  yours, 

J.  A.  Corneau. 


FERMENTING  THE  GRAPES  ON  THE  SKINS. 

John  Williamson,  a successful  cultivator  of  the  vine,  who 
resides  near  New  Richmond,  0.,  has  tried  the  experiment  for 
the  last  two  years,  of  letting  his  grapes  ferment  on  the  skins, 
slightly,  after  being  mashed,  and  before  pressing.  He  allows 
them  to  stand  in.large  open  hogsheads,  for  twenty-four  to  thirty 
hours,  or,  until  they  begin  to  ferment,  and  the  grapes  rise 
to  the  surface.  They  are  then  pressed.  Too  much  fermenta- 
tion in  this  state  would  be  injurious,  and  give  a bitter,  astrin- 


VINEYARDS  ABOUT  CINCINNATI. 


113 


gent  taste  to  the  wine ; but  a slight  fermentation  adds  to  the 
color  and  aroma. 

Mr.  Williamson’s  wine  enjoys  a high  reputation  where 
known,  and  readily  commands  $1,25  per  gallon,  whenever  it 
is  offered  for  sale. 


VINEYARDS  ABOUT  CINCINNATI. 

To  the  Editors  of  the  Cincinnati  Gazette : 

Gentlemen  : — I was  yesterday  at  some  of  the  vineyards  on 
the  Ohio,  below  the  city,  and  among  others  at  the  vineyard 
of  Mr.  Duhme,  who,  I understand,  resides  in  the  city.  The 
location  is  a good  one,  with  a favorable  soil,  and  is,  I believe, 
the  largest  vineyard  in  the  State.  It  requires  his  personal 
attention.  The  grapes  ripen  badly,  and  a large  portion  of 
them  cannot  ripen  at  all. 

In  some  parts  of  Europe,  where  their  summers  are  cool, 
they  find  it  necessary  to  shorten  the  leading  branches  intended 
to  produce  the  next  year’s  crop,  and  thin  out  the  leaves,  and 
head  in  the  short  branches,  and  fully  expose  the  fruit  to  the 
sun  and  air,  to  insure  its  ripening.  This  method,  in  our  hot 
climate,  is  often  highly  injurious  to  the  plant,  and  destructive 
to  the  fruit.  If  the  heading  in  of  the  leading  shoots  be  done 
early  in  the  season,  the  fruit-buds  of  the  following  year  are 
thrown  out.  As  an  experiment,  I one  year,  by  successive  head- 
ing, had  the  fruit  of  four  successive  years  on  the  plant  at  the 
same  time,  and  the  fall  being  favorable,  the  second  crop  ripened 
its  fruit.  Where  the  fruit  branches  are  frequently  topped,  and 
the  wood  becomes  ripe,  the  sap  ceases  to  flow,  and  the  fruit 
cannot  ripen.  This  is  the  case  at  the  vineyard  of  Mr.  Duhme. 
In  our  hot  climate  no  more  lateral  branches  should  be  taken 
from  the  main  shoots  intended  for  next  year’s  fruit  than  to 
give  them  the  necessary  length.  The  fruit  branches  should 
be  topped  when  in  blossom,  beyond  the  second  eye  from  the 
last  blossom,  and  after  that  allowed  to  grow  without  topping. 
In  our  climate,  to  ripen  the  fruit,  a portion  of  shade  is  neces- 


114 


APPENDIX. 


sary,  for  where  there  is  growing  young  wood,  there  is  of 
course  a full  flow  of  sap  to  the  fruit,  without  which  it  shrivels 
and  drops  off. 

This  day  I visited  a German  settlement  on  the  Ohio,  com- 
mencing about  twelve  miles  above  the  city,  and  extending 
about  four  miles.  The  hill  commences,  close  to  the  river, 
and  rises  gradually ; the  usual  bottom-land  being  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river.  The  soil  is  porous  and  well  calcu- 
lated, in  my  opinion,  for  the  cultivation  of  the  grape,  and  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  four  miles  is  occupied  by  vineyards,  and 
there  are  also  some  on  the  top  of  the  hill.  Two  of  the  vine- 
yards belong  to  Englishmen  ; the  owners  of  all  the  others  are 
Germans. 

. Most  of  the  vineyards  in  this  vicinity  have  suffered  severely 
from  the  rot,  and  some  vine-dressers,  expecting  in  the  early 
part  of  the  season  to  make  from  2000  to  4000  gallons  of 
wine,  will  not  make  100.  Yet  their  vineyards  are  on  the 
sides  and  tops  of  the  hills,  fully  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air. 
But  the  subsoil  is  a stiff  clay  retentive  of  moisture.  These 
localities  will,  I fear,  be  always  subject  to  rot,  and  yet  the 
vineyards  will  be  found  more  profitable  than  any  other  crop. 
To  persons  having  a porous  soil,  I would  recommend  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  Herbemont  grape.  It  is  a fine  grape,  both  for 
the  table  and  for  wine,  and  perfectly  hardy.  It  makes  wine 
of  superior  quality,  similar  to  the  Spanish  Manzanilla,  or 
Mansinsella,  as  it  is  generally  pronounced.  This  grape  has  a 
soft  pulp,  and  resembles  the  best  foreign*  table  grapes.  Lick 
Run,  in  our  immediate  vicinity,  will  make  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  rural  spots  in  the  world.  It  will  soon  be  a continu- 
ous line  of  vineyards.  I wish  some  of  our  poets  would  visit 
it  in  May  or  June,  and  give  it  a more  beautiful  and  appro- 
priate name.  They  may  rack  their  brains  for  months,  and 
not  find  one  worthy  of  the  scene.  It  is  different  on  Mount 
Adams,  which  is  in  a double  sense  in  connection  with  the 
heavens — its  height  and  proximity  to  the  great  Telescope  of 


VINEYARDS  ABOUT  CINCINNATI. 


115 


Professor  Mitchel.  The  highest  street  is  called  Celestial 
street.  Commanding  as  the  view  is,  the  name  surely 
equals  it. 

N.  Longworth. 

P.  S.  I have  just  returned  from  a visit  to  the  vineyard  of 
Mr.  Langdon,  on  the  bottom  of  the  Little  Miami,  eight  miles 
above  the  city,  in  a sandy  soil.  That  porous  soil  is  not 
subject  to  the  rot  in  grapes,  is  exemplified  here.  His  misfor- 
tune is  in  fact  too  large  a crop  of  fruit,  an  unusual  complaint 
this  season.  Yet  he  will  have  a poor  vintage,  arising  from 
two  causes,  which  prevent  the  fruit  from  ripening.  The  first 
and  least  cause  is  too  much- fruit,  from  leaving  too  much 
bearing  wood.  There  was  more  than  the  vine  could  give  a 
supply  of  sap  for,  in  a favorable  season.  The  second  and 
great  cause  is  the  same  as  at  the  vineyard  of  Mr.  Duhme. 
The  fruit  has  no  shade,  few  leaves,  and  but  little  young  wood 
on  the  fruit  branches,  to  carry  sap  to  the  grapes  to  ripen 
them.  The  wood  is  life,  and  the  circulation  of  the  sap 
stopped,  not  one-fourth  of  the  grapes  will  ripen  perfectly; 
many  of  them  shrivel  and  drop,  and  many  of  them  scarcely 
change  color.  A favorable  fall  will  aid  them. 

I observed  in  the  vineyard  of  Mr.  Langdon,  that  the  Ca- 
tawba vine  is  much  closer  jointed  than  in  our  richer  land, 
where  there  is  a subsoil  of  clay  ; and  one  of  my  German  vine- 
dressers assured  me  this  is  always  the  case.  This  would  indi- 
cate an  increased  crop,  and  the  change  probably  depends  on 
the  richness  of  the  soil.  An  important  inquiry  is,  will  the 
grape,  in  a sandy  soil,  yield  an  equal  amount  of  sugar  ? I 
wish  our  vine-dressers  to  direct  their  attention  to  this  subject. 
In  some  of  our  vineyards,  they  have  both  soils,  and  the  ques- 
tion will  be  easily  decided.  The  color  of  the  Catawba  grape 
is  no  certain  evidence  of  its  ripeness  and  richness.  They  are 
often  of  unusual  dark  color,  this  season,  yet  the  juice  has  one- 
eighth  less  sugar.  N.  Longworth. 


116 


APPENDIX, 


VINEYARDS  IN  CLARK  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

The  following  letter,  from  Mr.  Gibson,  will  be  found 
interesting : — 

R.  Buchanan: — 

Dear  Sir. — Mr.  A.  Goodwin,  my  father-in-law,  yesterday 
placed  in  my  hands  a letter  from  you  of  January  28th,  and 
requested  me  to  reply  to  the  questions  therein  propounded, 
which  I take  great  pleasure  in  doing.  The  number  of  acres 
of  grapes  in  cultivation  in  our  county  (Clark),  is  somewhere 
between  150  and  200,  and  steadily  on  the  increase.  The 
Catawba  is  almost  exclusively  cultivated.  Those  who  plant 
a few  Isabellas,  generally  dig  them  up  after  a few  years’  trial. 
The  objection  to  them  is  that  they  are  much  more  liable  to 
the  rot  than  the  Catawba. 

The  distances  at  which  the  vines  are  planted  vary  in  differ- 
ent vineyards  from  3 by  6 to  4 by  8 feet.  Mine  is  8 by  8 
feet ; but  I know  of  no  others  planted  so  widely  apart.  The 
cultivation  adopted  is  simple,  and  costs  next  to  nothing.  The 
land  is  deeply  plowed  in  the  spring  — holes  dug  with  a 
spade,  and  two  or  three  slips  planted  in  each  hole — the 
ground  is  then  planted  in  potatoes  and  pays  for  its  culture — 
second  year  the  same.  Third  year  the  vines  are  staked, 
plowed  and  hoed  once  or  twice.  I have  never  known 
manure  to  be  applied,  and  most  of  our  cultivators  are  of 
opinion,  that  the  poorer  the  land  the  better  it  is  for  the  g rape. 
When  Mr.  Goodwin  first  commenced  the  culture  of  the  grape, 
he  planted  perhaps  an  acre  in  a very  rich  river  bottom,  and 
cultivated  them  with  a great  deal  of  care.  They  made  enor- 
mous growth  of  wood  and  a fine  show  of  fruit ; but  it  invari- 
ably rotted.  I do  not  believe  that  he  ever  got  two  barrels 
of  grapes  from  the  vineyard.  It  was  finally  dug  up  and 
destroyed. 

The  grape  is  very  subject  to  rot  in  some  seasons,  though 
hardly  as  much  so,  I think,  as  around  Cincinnati ; at  least 
ours  have  escaped  here,  when  yours  were  partially  destroyed. 


SPRING  PRUNING SPUR  SYSTEM. 


117 


Vineyards  planted  in  low  valleys  have  generally  been  aban- 
doned. The  fruit  is  almost  always  killed  by  spring  frosts. 
The  average  quantity  of  wine  per  acre  is  about  200  gallons ; 
this,  I mean,  for  an  average  of  different  years.  I have 
known  them  to  rot  so  badly  as  not  to  produce  50  gallons. 
One  thing  I have  never  yet  known — a vineyard  to  suffer 
much  from  the  rot  the  fourth  year — the  crop  is  always  good. 
The  juice  is  generally  sold  from  the  press  at  from  70  to  80 
cents  per  gallon,  to  vintners  in  Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  New 
Albany. 

My  attention  was  called,  a few  years  ago,  to  a grape  which 
has  been  cultivated  here  for  the  last  forty  years,  and  is,  I 
think,  a native.  It  is  about  the  size,  shape  and  color  of  the 
Cape,  but,  in  my  opinion,  superior  to  the  Catawba,  as  a table 
grape.  It  is  a vigorous  grower,  and  entirely  free  from  rot, 
but  somewhat  liable  to  crack  when  exposed  to  the  sun. 

T.  Ware  Gibson. 

Charleston , Ind.,  Feb.  26, 


SPRING  PRUNING SPUR  8YSTEM. 

The  following  letter  on  this  subject  will  be  read  with  inter- 
est by  vine-dressers.  Mr.  Sleath  is  one  of  our  best  prac- 
tical horticulturists.  He  had  charge  of  Mr.  Longworth's 
green-house  and  garden  for  many  years. 

R.  Buchanan: — 

Sir. — At  your  request  I now  give  you  the  method  of  spring 
pruning  which  I have  lately  adopted  in  my  vineyard,  and 
which  I believe  to  be  the  best.  It  may  be  called  the  alter- 
nate spur  system,  for  want  of  a more  descriptive  name.  The 
method  is  simply  this : Instead  of  training  only  two  canes  to 
the  stake  for  bearing  wood,  as  pursued  in  the  bow  system, 
train  three  or  four.  Then,  in  the  ensuing  spring,  cut  down 
to  two  or  three  eyes,  and  train  three  or  four  canes  for  bear- 
ing the  next  year,  from  the  lower  bud,  or  that  next  the 


118 


APPENDIX. 


stake.  This  can  be  done  by  pinching  in  the  bearing  branch 
from  the  upper  bud  of  each  spur. 

Subsequently  cut  down,  in  the  spring,  each  branch  intended 
for  bearing  to  two  eyes,  regulating  the  number  of  spurs,  to  the 
age  and  strength  of  the  vine. 

To  prevent  the  stalks  from  getting  too  high,  cut  back  from 
the  top,  and  train  young  wood  from  the  lower  buds.  I will 
frankly  admit  that  this  system  requires  more  care  and  better 
judgment  in  summer  pruning  than  the  old  one;  but  I am 
certain  it  will  produce  more  perfect  fruit,  which  is  the  great 
object. 

Respectfully, 

G.  Sleath. 


Note  to  page  67. — The  success  at  first,  of  the  Swiss  at  Vevay,  Ind., 
in  vine  culture,  was  owing  to  their  selection  of  a native  grape — the 
Cape,  For  several  years  their  vineyards  prospered  ; but  being  planted 
on  new  land,  in  rich  river  bottoms,  and  the  ground  not  trenched,  they 
were  much  troubled  by  rot,  and  finally  abandoned.  Another  cause  of 
failure,  was  in  the  quality  of  their  wine,  which  was  made  too  harsh 
and  acid,  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  American  consumers.  But  few  vine- 
yards are  now  cultivated  at  Vevav,  and  those  on  the  hill-sides.  The 
town  is  a Swiss  village  no  longer.  Many  of  the  descendants  of  the 
former  “ vignerons,”  removed  to  other  parts  of  the  country;  some 
settled  in  this  vicinity,  and  few  of  those  that  remain,  follow  the  occu- 
pations of  their  fathers.  It  has  lost  the  charm  of  novelty  to  the  west- 
ern traveler,  which  it  presented  thirty-four  years  ago,  when  the  writer 
there,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  saw  vineyards. 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


The  following  articles  from  tlie  pen  of  Mr.  Longwcrth,  ou  the  culti- 
vation of  this  delicious  fruit,  will  be  found  highly  iiitasresting  and  in- 
structive. 

Cincinnati  has,  of  late  years,  been  famous  for  her  fine  sugar-cured  hams, 
sparkling  Catawba  wines,  and  a cheap  and  abundant  Strawberry  market. 
The  latter  has  mainly  resulted  from  the  discovery,  that  certain  fine  va- 
rieties of  the  strawberry  were  more  prolific  in  the  pistillate  than  stami- 
nate  organs,  and  that  when  beds  were  planted  with  a due  proportion  of 
male  or  staminate  plants — say  one-tenth — the  crop  was  far  more  abun- 
dant, and  the  fruit  finer  than  that  produced  by  the  old  methods.  When 
this  became  known  to  Mr.  Longworth.  about  twenty -five  years  ago,  he  at 
once  made  public  this  secret,  possessed  by  a few,  that  all  might  profit  by 
it.  Our  cultivators  had  the  good  sense  to  adopt  it,  and  the  result  has 
been,  that  from  the  same  quantity  of  ground,  we  produce  more  Straw- 
berries, in  this  vicinity,  than  in  any  other  portion  of  the  Union. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Longworth  was  warmly  opposed  on  this  ques- 
tion by  Eastern  Horticulturists.  Some  of  them  have  lately  yielded  to 
his  opinions,  and  others  are  probably  testing  its  accuracy  by  experi- 
ments of  their  own. 

The  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society  appointed  two  committees,  at 
different  periods,  to  investigate  the  subject.  After  a careful  examina- 
tion, both  reported  favorable  to  Mr.  Longworth’s  position,  fully  sus- 
taining his  views  in  almost  every  particular.  These  reports  are  here- 
with presented — the  first  in  full,  the  latter  only  in  part,  for  wantof  room. 

Several  valuable  Seedling  Strawberries  have  been  produced  by  the 
Horticulturists  in  this  vicinity.  Mr.  Geo.  Graham’s  and  Mr.  Mother's 
were  favorably  noticed  some  six  years  ago ; and  those  of  Mr.  D.  Mo- 
Avoy  and  Mr.  Schneicke,  exhibited  last  spring,  created  quite  a sensa- 
tion in  the  Horticultural  Society. 

The  premium  of  one  hundred  dollars  was  awarded  to  Mr.  McAvoy, 
for  his  “superior” — the  best  of  three  fine  varieties  of  his  production; — 
it  was  pronounced,  by  the  committee,  better,  in  every  respect,  than  any 
other  Pistillate  Strawberry  cultivated  in  this  region.  Schneicke’s 
Hermaphrodite  Seedling,  named  “Longworth’s  prolific,” from  its  size, 
quality,  and  the  perfect  fruit  on  all  its  blossoms  from  its  first  bearing, 
was  deemed  superior  to  any  plant  of  that  class  known  here,  where  the 
Dest  English  Hermaphrodites  are  cultivated. 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


Me.  Buchanan  : — It  occurs  to  me,  that  in  connection  with  your  publi- 
cation in  relation  to  the  grape  culture,  and  the  manufacture  of  wine, 
engravings  of  the  Strawberry  blossom,  and  a short  description  of  their 
sexual  and  bearing  character,  will  be  highly  beneficial,  if  properly  un- 
derstood. Every  family  having  thirty  feet  square  of  ground,  may  have 
an  ample  supply  of  fruit.  In  our  best  species  of  Strawberries,  there 
are  four  distinct  kinds,  as  to  their  sexual  character,  and  this  character 
is  never  changed,  if  each  kind  were  cultivated  for  a thousand  years. 

The  last  persons  to  believe  in  this  difference  in  the  sexual  character 
of  the  plant,  are  our  botanists.  For  it  is  true  that  the  Strawberry  be- 
longs to  a class  of  plants,  that  possess  both  male  and  female  organs  in 
the  same  blossom.  But  in  their  wild  state,  and  in  raising  from  the 
seed,  there  are  three  kinds  produced,  entirely  differing  in  their  charac- 
ter. And  in  raising  from  seed,  one  may  be  found  in  many  thousand 
plants,  distinct  from  the  former  three.  Of  the  last  description,  until 
recently,  I had  met  with  but  two,  the  Eberlein,  and  Duke  of  Kent. 
The  size  of  their  fruit  is  too  small  to  render  them  very  desirable.  A 
new  Seedling,  raised  by  one  of  my  tenants  in  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
(Mr.  Schneike),  from  seed  that  I furnished,  is  of  this  character,  and 
should  it  sustain  the  bearing  character  it  has  for  five  years  (the  period 
since  it  first  bore  fruit),  it  is  superior  to  any  plant  of  its  character,  or 
any  Hermaphrodite  in  cultivation.  It  has  produced  each  season  a full 
crop  of  extra  large  fruit,  of  fine  quality.  The  pistillate  blossoms  not 
only  produce  a certain  crop,  having  staminates  in  the  truss,  but  each 
Hermaphrodite  blossom  has  proved  perfect  in  both  organs,  and  pro- 
duced large,  perfect  fruit.  In  this,  it  thus  far  differs  from  all  Hermaph- 
rodites The  famous  Keen’s  Seedling,  Swainstone,  and  others  of  that 
class,  will  not  average  one-fourth  of  a crop  of  perfect  fruit.  One  of 
the  three  varieties  first  named  above,  is  always  perfect  in  the  male 
organs,  but  the  female  organs  are  so  defective  that  not  one  blossom  in  ten 
thousand  will  bear  a perfect  fruit,  and  rarely  a defective  one.  We  call 
them  staminate.  Another  of  the  three,  always  perfect  in  the  female 
organs,  but  so  defective  in  the  male,  that  it  is  a rare  occurrence  for  them 
to  produce  even  a defective  berry,  without  impregnation  from  other 
plants.  These  we  call  pistillates.  The  third  one  we  term  Hermaphro- 
dites. Being  perfect  iD  stamens,  and  more  or  less  perfect  in  pistils ; 
these  bear  from  one-tenth  to  one-third  of  a crop.  This  variation  in 

(133) 


124 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


product  is  owing  to  a better  development  of  the  pistils  in  favorable  sea- 
sons. The  famous  Keen’s  Seedling,  and  other  prized  English  varieties, 
are  of  this  character,  for  it  is  not  till  recently,  that  they  have  under- 
stood the  true  character  of  the  plant,  but  have  adhered  to  the  opinion 
of  Linnaeus,  that  all  varieties  have  both  organs  perfect,  and  a failure 
to  bear  fruit,  they  attribute  to  the  effect  of  frost.  The  last  rare  variety 
is  a plant  that  has,  with  staminate  and  Hermaphrodite  blossoms,  or 
Hermaphrodite  blossoms  only,  a portion  purely  pistillate.  Hermaph- 
rodites, and  staminates,  to  a casual  observer,  present  the  same  appear- 
ance. Where  there  are  no  insects,  even  Hermaphrodite  blossoms  require 
impregnation  by  hand.  It  is  even  said,  that  some  kinds  of  plants,  if 
not  all,  require  particular  kinds  of  insects  to  perform  the  impregna- 
tion ; that  some  plants,  strangers  to  our  climate,  require  impregnation 
by  hand,  as  we  did  not,  with  the  plant,  import  the  insect  designed  to 
perform  the  labor  of  impregnation.  Of  the  truth  of  this,  I have  no 
knowledge,  never  having  had  my  attention  drawn  to  it.  I believe  one 
staminate,  or  Hermaphrodite  plant,  will  impregnate  twenty  or  more 
pistillates.  Both  require  watching.  If  you  plant  but  one  staminate  to 
twenty  pistillates,  the  staminate  will,  in  two  years,  take  entire  posses- 
sion and  root  out  the  pistillates.  They  are  the  most  vigorous,  and  hav- 
ing no  fruit  to  exhaust  them,  make  ten  new  plants,  where  the  pistillates 
form  one. 

That  Hermaphrodites  require  impregnation  by  insects,  or  by  hand, 
I ascertained  last  season  and  this.  In  my  grape-house,  I had,  last 
spring,  a large  number  of  pistillates  and  Hermaphrodites  in  pots. 
When  in  blossom,  no  insects  were  stirring,  and  neither  bore  fruit.  In 
the  garden,  when  the  plants  were  in  blossom,  it  was  cold,  and  an  in- 
sect was  rarely  seen,  except  on  the  south  side  of  a high  garden  wall. 
There  my  blossoms  were  fully  impregnated,  for  there  insects  congrega- 
ted. I had  a large  number  of  beds  of  plants,  commencing  twenty  feet 
south  of  the  wall.  There,  not  one  blossom  in  fifty  of  pistillates  or 
Hermaphrodites,  had  a perfect  fruit.  This  season,  in  my  grape-house, 
I impregnated  both  kinds  by  hand,  with  a brush,  and  now  have  all 
fully  impregnated,  and  fruit  nearly  ripe.  I learn  from  my  gardener, 
recently  from  England,  that  they  now,  in  forcing  their  Strawberries,  also 
impregnate  with  a brush.  To  shake  the  pot  daily  would  produce  the 
same  effect,  and  I presume,  more  perfectly. 

I would  recommend  to  plant  three  beds  of  pistillates,  then  a single 
row  of  Hermaphrodites,  followed  by  six  or  eight  beds  of  pistillates, 
and  so  continue  to  the  end  of  the  patch.  I should  cut  off  the  runners 
in  the  single  rows,  and  not  allow  them  to  increase.  A staminate  Seed- 
ling may  come  up  in  a bed  of  pistillates,  and  root  most  of  them  out  of 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


125 


the  bed,  before  his  presence  is  observed.  This,  and  the  prolific  charac- 
ter of  the  stain  mates,  has  led  many  of  our  first  Horticulturists,  and 
among  them  Mr.  Downing,  to  believe  that  pistillate  plants  become  sta- 
minate by  running.  For  our  knowledge  of  the  sexual  character  of  the 
plants,  even  our  learned  botanists  and  gardeners,  are  indebted  to  a 
thoughtless  remark  of  the  son  of  an  illiterate  market  gardener,  who 
lost  many  thousands  of  dollars  by  the  casual  remark  of  his  son.  He 
made  an  independence  by  selling  his  strawberries  from  twenty-five  to 
fifty  cents  per  quart.  The  discovery  reduced  the  price  so  much,  that  he 
turned  his  attention  to  vegetables. 

N.  Longworth. 


THE  STRAWBERRY. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  fruits  of  the  west.  Im- 
mense quantities  are  raised  for  the  Cincinnati  market,  one  in- 
dividual (Mr.  Culbertson),  having  sent  to  market,  in  a single 
day,  four  thousand  quarts,  and  employing  sixty  hands  to 
gather  them.  All  the  famous  eastern  varieties  are  cultivated 
here,  and  do  well.  Beside  these,  very  fine  Seedlings  have 
been  raised  by  Mr.  Mother,  Mr.  Longworth,  and  others, 
that  are  as  large,  prolific,  and  high  flavored,  as  have  been 
described  by  eastern  writers.  The  plan  of  shipping  them  to 

Note. — These  cuts  represent  the  difference  of  the  flowers  of  the 
Strawberry  plant.  No.  1,  is  the  staminate.  No.  2,  is  the  pistillate. 

STRAWBERRY  BLOSSOMS. 

No.  1.  No.  2. 


Staminate  or  Male  Blossom. 


Pistillate  or  Female  Blossom. 


126 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


New  Orleans,  packed  in  ice,  has  just  commenced,  and  may 
eventually  become  an  important  branch  of  business,  as  they 
can  be  taken  down  in  a week  by  our  regular  packets.  No 
place  in  the  world  is  probably  better  adapted  for  preparing 
strawberry  jelly  for  exportation  ; of  which  article,  a large 
quantity  is  now  annually  imported  from  France,  and  sold  in 
the  eastern  cities,  and  at  New  Orleans. 

For  an  elaborate  account  of  the  theory  in  regard  to  the  in- 
fluence of  the  sexual  character  upon  Strawberry  plants,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  Mr.  Longworth’s  letter  to  the  Society. — 
{ Minutes  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society.) 

I regret  that  the  committee  on  the  character  of  the  Straw- 
berry plant,  have  not  yet  been  able  to  make  up  a unanimous 
report.  It  arises  from  a failure  of  the  crop  with  some  mem- 
bers of  the  committee,  and  from  a conviction  with  our  Euro- 
pean gardeners,  that  all  varieties  were  perfect  in  both  organs, 
in  Europe  ; and  they  are  slow  to  believe  the  contrary.  This 
I am  positive  is  not  the  fact  in  England.  In  some  soils  and 
some  climates,  and  in  favorable  seasons,  such  staminate  plants 
as  are  partially  perfect  in  the  female  organs,  yield  a larger 
crop  than  usual  ; but  can  never  be  made  to  bear  a full  crop. 
But  in  raising  from  seed,  fully  one  half  will  in  general  be 
staminate  plants,  and  not  one  in  fifty  of  them  bear  even  a 
single  fruit.  Those  that  do  bear,  produce  many  defective 
berries.  I do  not  believe  that  any  soil,  climate  or  season  can 
make  the  pistillate  plant  bear  singly  ; and  it  is  the  only  one 
worthy  of  cultivation  for  a crop.  Of  this,  and  of  the  stamin 
ate  and  pistillate  character  of  the  plant  in  England,  we  have 
positive  evidence  from  their  great  horticulturist,  Keen  himself. 
In  the  year  1809  (if  my  memory  serves  me  as  to  date),  Keen 
discovered  that  a new  Seedling  of  his,  planted  by  itself,  did 
not  swell  the  fruit.  On  a careful  examination  of  the  blossom, 
it  struck  him  that  it  might  be  owing  to  a defect  in  the  male 
organs.  He  then  placed  some  staminate  blossoms  in  a vial 
of  water,  and  suspended  them  in  the  bed.  He  found  the 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


127 


fruit  in  the  vicinity  to  swell  immediately,  and  he  placed  more 
vials  of  staminate  blossoms  in  different  parts  of  the  bed,  and 
had  a fine  crop.  His  letter  will  be  found  in  the  Transactions 
of  the  London  Horticultural  Society  for  that  year.  What 
was  true  in  1809,  will  be  found  still  to  be  true.  I have  fur- 
ther evidence  of  the  character  of  the  plant  in  England.  Fif- 
teen years  since,  I imported  several  varieties  of  strawberries 
from  London,  and  among  them  I had  both  staminate  and  pis- 
tillate plants,  but  not  one  variety  in  which  both  organs  were 
perfect  in  all  the  blossoms.  The  staminate  varieties  bore 
from  one-tenth  to  one-third  of  a crop.  Under  the  name  of 
Keen’s  Seedling,  I got  a pistillate  plant,  that  impregnated, 
produces  abundantly,  and  the  fruit  is  large  and  fine.  By 
themselves,  an  acre  would  not  produce  a perfect  berry.  It  is 
not,  what  in  England  is  generally  known  by  the  name  of 
Keen’s  Seedling. — Mr.  Keen  raised  many  varieties.  The  true 
Keen,  is  a staminate  plant,  and  is  more  perfect  in  both  organs 
than  is  usual,  and  produces  a partial  crop  of  large  fruit.  I 
incline  to  the  belief,  that  for  market,  their  gardeners  cultivate 
the  same  seedling  of  his  as  the  one  sent  me,  and  probably 
the  same  kind  he  impregnated  by  hand.  It  is  truly  a valu- 
able kind,  and  worth  twenty  of  the  staminate  seedlings.  The 
staminate  Keen  is  cultivated  for  forcing,  and  as  the  object  is 
large  fruit,  all  the  blossoms  are  picked  off,  except  three  or 
four  that  set  first. 

But  it  will  be  asked,  if  true,  why  is  not  this  known  to  botan- 
ists, and  to  all  our  nurserymen  who  raise  the  plant  for  sale. 
The  reasons  are  obvious.  The  strawberry  belongs  to  a class 
of  plants  that  have  both  the  male  and  female  organs  in  the 
same  blossom.  In  all  the  white  varieties  I have  seen,  and  in 
the  Alpines,  both  organs  are  always  perfect  in  the  same  blos- 
som. Both  organs  existing  in  all  other  varieties,  though  not 
both  perfect  in  all  the  blossoms,  the  attention  of  botanists  is 
not  directed  to  it,  or  where  noticed,  is  supposed  to  be  an  ac- 
cidental defect.  In  all  the  other  species  and  varieties  I have 


128 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


6een,  both  wild  and  cultivated,  I have  met  with  one  only, 
where  the  defect  in  the  one  organ  or  the  other,  was  not  appar- 
ent, and  in  that  the  fruit  was  very  small.  I have  never  seen 
a pistillate  plant  (one  in  which  the  female  organs  predomin- 
ate), that  would  by  itself  produce  any  perfect  fruit.  Stamin- 
ate  plants  (those  in  which  the  male  organs  predominate), 
where  partially  productive,  generally  produce  the  sweetest 
and  most  highly-flavored  fruit.  In  certain  soils  and  certain 
seasons,  Keen’s  seedling,  Wilmot’s,  the  Iowa,  and  some  other 
staminate  varieties,  will  produce  half  a crop. 

Where  our  horticulturists  raise  from  seed,  all  the  staminate 
plants  that  are  entirely  barren,  are  of  course  thrown  away, 
and  the  few  staminates  that  produce  a partial  crop  of  large 
fruit  retained.  A pistillate  plant,  that,  mixed  with  others, 
bears  a full  crop  of  large  berries,  is  transplanted  as  a treasure, 
into  a bed  by  itself,  for  increase.  The  gardener  is  the  next 
season  surprised  to  find  it  wholly  barren,  and  after  one  or  two 
trials,  throws  it  away. 

The  nurseryman,  within  a space  of  100  feet  square,  culti- 
vates twenty  or  more  varieties,  and  a large  portion  of  them 
are  always  staminate,  and  impregnate  the  pistillate  varieties. 
Fruit  not  being  their  object,  their  attention  is  not  directed  to 
their  bearing,  and  the  failure  of  a full  crop,  in  any  variety,  is 
attributed  to  frost,  or  accident,  or  its  being  a bad  bearer.  Of 
this  we  have  a strong  instance  in  Hovey’s  seedling.  It  is 
eleven  years  since  he  raised  this  plant ; he  has  increased  it 
extensively  for  sale.  Six  years  since,  I made  known  the  de- 
fect in  the  male  organs  of  the  plant,  and  drew  his  attention 
to  it ; and  asserted  that  an  acre  of  them,  separated  from  all 
others,  would  not  produce  a perfect  berry.  Until  1842,  he 
continued  to  contend,  and  was  positive, ' that  his  plant  was 
perfect  in  both  organs.  In  1842,  he  admitted  in  his  Magazine 
its  defect  in  the  male  organs.  In  1844,  he  went  back  to  his 
old  doctrine,  as  will  be  seen  by  his  Magazine ; and  it  was  not 
until  the  August  No.  of  his  Magazine  of  the  present  year. 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY 


129 


that  his  mind  was  again  mystified  on  the  subject.  How  are 
the  mere  worJcies  to  gain  information,  when  the  editor  of  a 
Horticultural  Magazine,  and  a nurseryman,  who  undertakes 
to  enlighten  others,  has  not,  in  eleven  years,  ascertained  the 
character  of  his  own  seedling  ? I am  the  less  surprised  at 
this,  and  acquit  Mr.  Hovey  of  blame,  as  Mr.  Downing,  in  a 
recent  letter,  assures  me,  that  last  season,  he  raised  a fine 
crop  of  Hovey’s  seedlings,  on  a bed  far  separated  from  all 
others  ; and  for  a still  stronger  reason — that  even  the  London 
Horticultural  Society  holds  the  same  doctrine.  But  the  ques- 
tion is  now  under  investigation,  and  light  is  thrown  on  it 
yearly  by  cultivators,  and  even  the  London  Horticultural  So- 
ciety will  soon  acknowledge  their  error ; but  not  until  Mr. 
Hovey  has  satisfied  his  own  mind,  when  he  will  doubtless 
draw  public  attention  to  it.  Yet  Mr.  Hovey,  in  his  August 
No.  of  the  present  year,  states,  a person  had  cultivated  an 
acre  of  his  seedlings,  where  they  were  mixed  with  staminate 
plants,  and  raised  two  thousand  quarts,  and  that  his  new 
seedling  is  valuable  for  impregnating  his  old  one.  Here  is  a 
tacit  admission,  that  his  old  seedling  is  defective  in  the  male 
organs.  The  yield  was  not  a large  one.  Mr.  Jackson  raised 
at  the  rate  of  five  thousand  quarts  to  the  acre,  near  Cincin- 
nati, as  he  informed  the  public  in  a late  publication.  Mi- 
Downing,  I am  positive,  had  not  Hovey’s  seedling  unmixed 
with  others. 

To  keep  varieties  separate,  is  next  to  an  impossibility,  and 
the  more  so,  as  new  ones  are  often  produced  in  the  bed  from 
chance  seed.  I was  absent  from  home  two  months  this 
summer,  and  left  it  in  charge  with  my  gardener  to  watch  the 
beds,  and  keep  down  runners.  On  my  return,  I found  the 
pistillate  beds  had  become  mixed,  and  the  staminate  Iowa 
had  run  on  the  adjoining  pistillate  beds,  on  each  side,  a dis- 
tance of  nine  feet.  But  though  Mr.  Hovey  appears  to  admit 
that  his  old  seedling  requires  staminate  plants  near,  on  the 
same  page,  he  remarks,  “It  is  time  and  labor  thrown  away 


ISO 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


to  cultivate  sterile  plants,  as  has  been  recommended  by  some 
individuals,  when  varieties  unusually  'productive,  and  of  large 
size,  can  be  planted  out  for  that  purpose.”  He  here,  of 
course,  refers  to  his  own  seedlings. 

Mr.  Downing  describes  the  Old  Hudson  as  “ a fruit  with  a 
neck.”  Our  Hudson  is  the  reverse  of  a necked  fruit,  and  I 
have  never  seen  a single  berry  of  this  kind  with  a neck ; and 
I am  positive  that  ours  is  the  same  variety  that  has  been  cul- 
tivated under  this  name  in  New  Jersey,  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
Philadelphia,  more  extensively  for  market,  for  the  last  fifty 
years,  than  all  others  united.  The  Hudson,  or  Hudson  Bay, 
is  described  in  English  works  as  a necked  fruit.  They 
obtained  it  from  New  York  many  years  since,  and  do  not 
consider  it  a first  rate  fruit.  I incline  to  the  opinion,  that 
the  true  Hudson  was  not  sent  them,  or  has  been  lost,  and  a 
new  variety  substituted.  It  has  been  of  late  years  imported 
from  England  by  New  York  gardeners,  and  by  them  consid- 
ered the  true  Hudson.  The  genuine  Hudson  is  not  now  to 
be  found  in  Boston,  and  probably  not  in  New  York.  It  is 
wholly  defective  in  the  male  organs,  and  has  been  thrown  by 
as  unproductive.  It  is  a large  and  finely-flavored  fruit,  and, 
where  properly  impregnated,  a great  bearer. 

Mr.  Downing,  in  a letter  to  me,  suggests  that  our  Hudson 
has  probably  lost  its  neck  by  impregnation  with  other  varie- 
ties. I hold  that  the  character  of  new  seedlings  is  changed, 
where  the  mother  plant  was  impregnated  by  a different  vari- 
ety, but  that  the  shape  or  color  of  the  fruit  is  not,  where  im- 
pregnated by  a variety  differing  in  shape  and  color  from  the 
plant  impregnated.  I wish  to  see  the  experiment  made, 
whether  the  size  of  the  fruit  of  the  pistillate  plant  is  in- 
creased or  lessened  by  the  staminate  plant  used  for  impreg- 
nation. An  experienced  market  gardener  assures  me  that  it 
is  increased. 

I have  this  moment  received  a letter  from  Col.  Carr,  an 
old  and  experienced  horticulturist  of  Philadelphia.  He 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


131 


writes  me,  “I  have  conversed  with  Mr.  Hobson  and  others, 
who  pay  great  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the  strawberry, 
and  they  all  unite  with  me  in  opinion.”  “ The  Hudson  is 
the  principal  sort  cultivated  for  market,  and  has  been  for 
fifty  years.  It  is  what  we  call  female  or  prolific.  It  never 
has  a neck.  A Mr.  Abergust,  who  was  my  near  neighbor, 
and  excelled  in  strawberries,  removed  to  Cincinnati  about 
thirty  years  since,  and  took  the  true  Hudson  with  him,  and 
the  same  now  cultivated  here.  All  our  principal  market  gar- 
deners now  begin  perfectly  to  understand  the  difference  be- 
tween staminate  and  pistillate  plants,  and  find  the  former 
such  strong  runners  as  generally  to  prefer  keeping  them  in 
separate  beds.”  Mr.  Abergust  for  many  years  sold  nine- 
tenths  of  the  strawberries  brought  to  our  market,  and  raised 
the  Hudson  only.  While  I could,  from  one-fourth  of  an 
acre,  scarcely  raise  a bushel,  he  would  raise  forty  bushels. 
His  fruit  was  much  larger  than  any  other  brought  to  market, 
and  commanded  from  25  to  37-J-  cents  per  quart.  He  made 
a handsome  competence  from  the  sale  of  his  fruit.  His 
secret  he  kept  to  himself,  and  had  been  as  much  noted  foi 
the  size  of  his  fruit  and  the  quantity  raised  on  a given  space 
of  ground  in  Philadelphia  as  he  was  here.  A chance  obser- 
vation of  a son  of  his  one  day,  in  my  garden,  saying,  “ I 
must  raise  but  little  fruit,  as  all  my  plants  were  males,”  first 
led  my  attention  to  the  subject.  I soon  discovered  that 
there  were  what  he  called  male  and  female  plants,  and  com- 
municated the  fact  to  our  market  gardeners.  The  result  was, 
strawberries  rapidly  increased  in  our  market,  till  as  fine  as 
had  been  raised  by  Mr.  Abergust  were  sold  at  from  3 to  10 
cents  per  quart,  and  he  ceased  to  cultivate  them. 

The  British  Queen  is,  at  present,  the  most  popular  straw- 
berry in  England,  and  much  sought  for  here.  Messrs.  Cun- 
ningham & Son,  of  Liverpool,  write  me,  that  it  is  a fruit  of 
fine  size  and  superior  flavor,  but  with  them  is  a bad  bearer; 
that,  in  some  soils  and  situations,  it  is  said  to  be  a good 


132 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


bearer.  Here  is  the  old  story.  I am  convinced  it  will  be 
found  to  be  staminate,  and  of  no  value  to  our  market  gai- 
deners  for  a general  crop.  It  may  be  pistillate,  and  its  bad 
bearing  caused  by  the  absence  of  staminate  plants.  If  so,  it 
will  be  very  valuable.  Certain  it  is,  it  will  not  be  found 
perfect  in  both  organs. 

In  a late  number  of  the  Farmer  and  Mechanic  it  is  said: 
“Foreign  strawberries  are  unproductive  about  Boston,  and 
the  only  ones  now  cultivated  are  the  Wood,  Early  Scarlet, 
and  Hovey’s  Seedlings.  That  three  cultivators  near  Boston 
sent  four  thousand  five  hundred  quarts  to  market  in  a single 
season.”  What  will  our  market  gardeners  say  to  this?  The 
Wood  strawberry  is  thought  by  them  to  be  worthless,  and 
not  a quart  w as  ever  sold  in  our  market.  Its  only  merit  is, 
that  its  blossom  is  said  to  be  perfect  in  both  male  and  female 
organs.  The  Early  Scarlet  is  raised  to  some  extent ; but 
four-fifths  of  all  the  strawberries  sold  in  our  market  are  the 
Necked  Pine  and  Hudson  ; mostly  the  latter.  Mr.  Culbertson 
brings  more  strawberries  to  our  market  than  any  other  per- 
son. The  greatest  quantity  he  has  brought  in  any  single  day 
was  four  thousand  quarts ; and  not  one  of  the  kinds  named 
in  the  Farmer  and  Mechanic  among  them.  All  were  the 
Hudson.  By  properly  understanding  the  true  character  of 
the  plant,  Mr.  Culbertson  has  been  able  to  gather  nearly  as 
many  quarts  in  a single  day  as  three  Boston  cultivators  were 
able  to  do  in  a whole  season.  I saw  an  editorial  article  in  a 
recent  eastern  horticultural  paper,  speaking  in  high  terms  of 
the  Alpine  strawberry,  as  raised  by  a Col.  Stoddert,  and  its 
great  produce,  which  yielded  him,  at  12J  cents  per  quart, 
upward  of  $1,600  to  the  acre.  It  is  an  indifferent  fruit,  and 
never  yielded  one-fourth  the  quantity. 

Can  Hovey’s  Seedling,  or  any  other  large-fruited  pistillate 
strawberry,  be  impregnated  by  the  iUpine  Monthly  ? It  is 
my  impression  that  they  are  distinct  species,  and  that  it  can- 
not be  done.’  If  it  can,  a cross  might  be  produced  that,  with 


STRAWBERRY  REPORT. 


133 


the  size  and  flavor  of  the  one,  might  be  united  the  ever-bear- 
ing character  of  the  other.  There  is  a wild,  ever-bearing 
variety  in  our  State,  that  would  cross  with  the  Scarlet  and 
Pine,  and  is  the  only  kind  I have  ever  seen  worthy  of  the 
name  of  Ever-bearing;  for  the  Alpine,  after  the  first  crop, 
rarely  produces  much  fruit  through  the  season.  Thirty 
years  since,  I met  with  a solitary  strawberry  plant  on  Mount 
Adams,  then  in  bloom.  I removed  it  to  my  garden,  and  the 
plant  not  only  bloomed  freely  till  frost,  but  all  the  runners 
threw  out  blossoms  at  the  same  time  that  they  made  roots, 
and  bore  abundantly  till  late  in  the  fall.  The  fruit  was  small, 
but  of  fine  flavor.  A new  hand  in  the  garden,  early  the 
next  spring,  supposed  they  were  weeds,  and  destroyed  them. 
The  old  pioneer,  Lewis  DavIs,  informed  me  the  same  variety 
grew  in  Greene  county,  on  the  cliffs,  and  had  been  frequently 
seen  by  him.  I trust  it  may  again  be  discovered,  and  Ohio 
have  the  credit  of  producing  the  only  ever- bearing  straw- 
berry, as  well  as  raspberry.  The  latter  plant,  to  produce  a 
good  crop,  during  the  summer  and  fall,  requires  a moist  soil. 
My  ground  in  the  city  is  too  rich  and  dry  for  it.  I have 
never  seen  the  plant  bear  as  well  as  in  Newark,  New  Jersey, 
on  a side  hill,  where  the  ground  is  moist,  poor  and  stony. 
The  plant  did  not  attain  half  the  size  it  does  here ; but  the 
fruit  was  large  and  abundant  till  frost. 

N.  Longworth. 


REPORT  ON  THE  CULTIVATION  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 

The  Committee  appointed  two  years  ago,  at  the  request  of 
N.  Longworth,  Esq.,  to  investigate  the  character  and  habits 
of  the  Strawberry,  having  had  the  subject  under  considera- 
tion, beg  leave  to  report : 

That  after  numerous  experiments  made  by  the  members  of 


134 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


the  Committee,  relative  to  the  character  of  the  plant,  and  u- 
productive  qualities,  they  have  unanimously  arrived  at  the 
following  conclusions : 

1.  That  strawberry  plants  raised  from  seed,  like  many  othei 
plants,  are  liable  to  run  into  diversified  varieties,  and  a pecu- 
liarity in  these  varieties,  is  the  irregularity  of  the  reproduc- 
tive or  sexual  organs. 

2.  That  a few  varieties  have  the  flowers  perfect  in  th< 
sexual  organs,  and  present  the  stamens  and  pistils  both  fully 
developed  in  each  flower.  Such  flowers  may  produce  a good 
crop  of  medium-sized  fruit,  as  we  have  witnessed  this  season, 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  La  Grange  (a  variety  of  the  Haut 
Bois),  in  the  White  Pine,  and  in  the  Monthly  Alpine. 

3.  Another  class,  which  is  numerous  and  embraces  the  best 
varieties  cultivated  in  this  neighborhood,  has  the  female  or 
pistillate  organs  fully  developed,  and  the  male  or  staminate 
organs  so  imperfect,  that  at  first  glance  they  appear  to  be 
wanting ; but  a critical  examination  and  dissection  of  the 
flower  will  disclose  them,  few  in  number,  and  so  imperfect  in 
anthers  and  pollen,  that  they  appear  incapable  of  fertilizing 
the  stigmas  ; consequently,  they  are  termed  pistillate  or  female 
plants,  and  require  a staminate  plant  near  them  to  furnish  the 
fertilizing  powers  ; for  without  staminate  plants,  the  crop  will 
be  small,  and  the  berries  imperfect.  Hovey’s  Seedling  plant 
will  illustrate  this  class. 

4.  Other  varieties  are  perfect  in  the  male  or  staminate  or- 
gans, with  the  pistils  imperfect.  Such  plants  will  produce  an 
imperfect  crop,  although  some  flowers  may  have  perfect  pis- 
tils, and  produce  the  berries  of  large  size ; but  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances  they  will  fail  to  mature  an 
abundant  crop  of  fruit. 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  state,  that  these  varieties  have  a 
strong  growth,  producing  vigorous  runners,  and  when  planted 
with  pistillate  plants,  within  two  or  three  years,  they  occupy 


STRAWBERRY  REPORT. 


136 


all  the  ground,  and  the  cultivator,  who  is  ignorant  of  their 
habits,  generally  concludes  that  his  productive  plants  have 
become  barren ; when,  after  proper  examination,  he  would  see 
that  the  pistillate  plants  had  been  displaced  by  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  staminates,  and  the  quantity  of  fruit  propor- 
tionably  diminished. 

6.  There  are  other  varieties  so  defective  in  the  pistils  or 
female  organs,  as  to  be  completely  sterile,  and  fail  to  produce 
fruit,  either  in  their  native  state  or  under  the  most  careful 
cultivation. 

A majority  of  the  Committee  also  express  the  opinion,  that 
the  varieties  mentioned  never  change  their  character,  so  as  to 
be  transferred  from  one  class  to  another,  but  continue  their 
original  distinction  in  the  runners,  and  remain  the  same  under 
all  circumstances  of  cultivation. 

The  minority  of  the  Committee  think  that  sufficient  experi- 
ments have  not  yet  been  made,  to  demonstrate  fully  the  truth 
of  this  opinion. 

Your  Committee,  therefore,  relying  upon  their  own  experi- 
ments, and  those  made  by  other  cultivators,  freely  state,  that 
to  insure  an  abundant  product  of  large  fruit,  the  principle  of 
hybridizing  must  be  adopted,  and  such  varieties  selected  to 
bear  fruit,  as  exhibit  the  female  organs,  or  pistils,  largely  de- 
veloped, with  the  male  organs,  or  stamens,  defective  or  unde- 
veloped. To  fertilize  the  female  plant  with  the  necessary 
pollen,  the  pistillate  plants  must  be  accompanied  in  the  same 
bed,  or  near  to  it,  with  male  or  staminate  plants. 

This  rule  being  strictly  observed,  in  all  favorable  seasons 
abundant  crops  will  reward  the  careful  cultivator. 

As  further  evidence  that  this  is  the  most  successful  mode 
for  the  cultivation  of  the  strawberry,  your  Committee  beg 
leave  to  refer  to  the  quantity  of  strawberries  sold  in  the  Cin- 
cinnati market  this  season,  which  were  furnished  principally 
by  those  who  have  adopted  the  system  of  planting  female  or 


12 


136 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


pistillate  plants,  with  a proportion  of  about  one-tenth  male  or 
staminate  plants  for  fertilizing. 

The  amount  sold  has  been  ascertained  by  a Committee 
appointed  by  the  Horticultural  Society.  The  Committee 
reported  the  quantity  in  market  each  day  during  the  most 
productive  portion  of  the  strawberry  season,  commencing  on 
the  19th  of  May  and  ending  on  the  12th  of  June, — a period 
of  twenty-two  days, — in  which  time  they  state  the  aggregate 
amount  at  4,150  bushels,  being  an  average  of  nearly  200 
bushels  per  day.  Other  estimates  make  the  quantity  much 
greater. 

This  product  of  fruit,  compared  with  other  markets,  and 
the  quantity  of  ground  cultivated,  furnishes  conclusive  evi- 
dence of  the  success  in  attending  to  the  cultivation  of  stami- 
nate and  pistillate  varieties. 

Jacob  Hoffner,  jr.,  minority  on  5th  position. 

William  Smith, 

R.  Buchanan, 

George  Graham, 

A.  H.  Ewing, 

A.  H.  Ernst, 

J.  G.  Anthony,  minority  on  the  5th  position. 

S.  Mosher, 

S.  S.  Jackson, 

Committee. 


Cincinnati,  June  13 th, 


STRAWBERRY  REPORT. 


137 


REPORT 

Of  the  Committee  of  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society  on 
the  Statistics  of  the  Strawberry,  and  the  quantity  sold  in 
the  Cincinnati  market,  for  the  year  1846. 


May  19th. . . 

...10 

bushels. 

20th... 

a 

21st  .. . 

. ..  20 

a 

22d  . . . 

...25 

a 

23d  .. . 

a 

25th . . . 

. ..  20 

a 

26th..  . 

...  250 

a 

27th . . . 

. ..200 

it 

28th . . . 

...  200 

a 

29th.. . 

tt 

30th . . . 

. ..300 

a 

June  1st  . . . 

bushels. 

2d  ... 

u 

3d  ... 

t< 

4th... 

it 

5th.. . 

it 

6th .. . 

...350 

u 

8th..  . 

. ..100 

n 

9th..  . 

. ..350 

a 

10th... 

...300 

a 

11th... 

...250 

it 

12th... 

it 

Total,  for  22  days,  4,150  bush. 

D.  K.  Cady,  Chairman. 


REPORT. 

The  Committee  to  whom  was  referred  the  investigation  of  the 
Sexual  Characters  of  the  Strawberry,  beg  leave  to 
report : — 

That  they  have  endeavored  to  discharge,  in  the  most  thor- 
ough manner,  the  duty  imposed  upon  them,  by  investigating, 
with  note-book  in  hand,  the  condition  of  various  kinds  of 
Strawberries,  at  the  different  stages  of  their  progress,  from 
the  blossom  to  the  ripened  fruit,  so  as  to  observe  any  pecu- 
liarities of  inflorescence,  and  watch  the  consequent  effects 
upon  the  fructification.  As  an  evidence  of  the  fidelity  with 
which  your  Committee  have  discharged  their  duty,  allow 
them  to  say  that  this  Report  is  based  upon  more  than  two 
hundred  and  seventy  recorded  observations,  which  were 
made  with  critical  accuracy,  and  as  extended,  in  almost 


138 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


every  instance,  as  it  was  possible  to  render  them;  hence,  it 
may  be  safely  assumed,  that  they  have  now  sufficient  data 
and  abounding  testimony  to  prove  the  postulates  they  intend 
to  lay  down  in  this  report.  The  whole  subject  has  been  so 
ably  and  so  frequently  explained  to  this  society  and  commu- 
nity that  there  is  nothing  new  left  for  your  Committee,  who 
only  reiterate  truths  well  established  and  generally  admitted 
among  us. 

After  carefully  collating  and  reviewing  the  facts  which  they 
have  observed  and  recorded,  the  Committee  present  the  fol- 
lowing conclusions  or  postulates , which  have  been  deduced 
from  their  united  observations : 

1.  That  there  are  many  different  varieties  of  the  Straw- 
berry, which  are  characterized,  in  part,  by  the  foliage,  pubes- 
cence, mode  of  growth,  and  fruit,  and,  also,  by  their  inJUy- 
rescence. 

2.  That  the  varieties  in  inflorescence  (the  most  important 
to  the  cultivator)  consist  in  the  greater  or  less  development 
of  the  stamens  and  pistils,  respectively,  upon  which  are 
based  our  terms  and  classification,  “ staminate”  and  “ pistil . 
late,”  or,  more  familiarly  with  the  mass  of  cultivators,  male 
and  female.  ( See  page  1 23. ) 

3.  That  these  classes  are  permanent  aberrations  from  what 
the  great  Linnaeus  considered  the  normal  condition  of  this 
genus  of  plants,  as  of  its  natural  family  Rosacea. 

4.  That  nearly  all  botanists  (and  among  them  our  most 
enlightened  modern  writers)  have  overlooked  the  important 
error  of  Linnaeus,  and  have  simply  copied  after  him  in  their 
descriptions  of  the  strawberry,  without  verifying  for  them- 
selves ; while  a plain,  unlettered  market  gardener,  but  a prac- 
tical and  observing  man,  discovered*  the  important  fact,  that 


* We  say  “ discovered,”  because  we  are  unable  to  learn  that  Mr. 
Abbegust  ever  heard  of  Mr.  Keen  or  M.  Duchesne,  or  that  he  was  at  all 
in  the  way  of  reading  anything  upon  the  subject. 


STRAWBERRY  REPORT. 


139 


while  in  some  plants  the  flowers  are  apparently  perfect  in 
both  sets  of  organs,  one  set  is  really  defective,  to  a greater  or 
less  extent,  and,  in  others,  the  flowers  which  we  style  pistil- 
late, have  the  stamens  so  imperfectly  developed  as  entirely  to 
elude  a casual  observation,  and  only  to  be  discovered  by  a 
critical  observer,  and  then,  in  most  instances,  found  to  be 
wholly  abortive. 

5.  That  no  pistillate  plant  will  bear  a perfect  fruit,  if  kept 
entirely  apart  from  staminate  varieties. 

6.  That  no  staminate  plants,  which  we  have  yet  seen,  can 
be  depended  upon  by  the  cultivator  as  heavy  bearers,  though, 
from  some  unknown  causes,  the  pistils  may  be  so  well  devel- 
oped as  to  be  followed  by  a good  crop,  some  years,  and  in 
some  situations. 

7.  That  there  is  no  such  thing  yet  known  to  us  as  a perfect 
flowered  strawberry  plant,  in  which  the  blossoms  will  all  be 
uniformly  so  well  provided  with  both  sets  of  organs  as  to  be 
followed  by  perfect  fruit  every  year. 

8.  That  the  only  method  of  producing  this  delicious  fruit, 
with  any  degree  of  certainty  as  to  the  result,  is  that  now 
adopted  by  our  intelligent  cultivators,  namely:  To  set  out 
plants  of  both  of  the  sexual  classes,  the  relative  proportions 
of  each  to  be  determined  by  experience,  selecting  such  pistil- 
late kinds  as  may  prove  of  good  size  and  flavor,  and  only  so 
many  staminates  as  may  be  found  necessary  for  impregnation. 

9.  That  the  runners  from  a strawberry  plant  are  as  integral 
portions  of  itself  as  the  branches  and  buds  of  a tree ; and, 
therefore,  that  we  may  always  propagate  any  variety  by  this 
means,  with  as  much  certainty  as  we  perpetuate  any  variety 
of  apple,  or  other  fruit,  by  grafting  or  inoculation. 

There  are  great  differences  in  the  productiveness  of  the 
staminates,  from  those  which  are  entirely  barren  to  those 
which  may  bear  tolerably  well,  or  even  very  well,  under 
peculiar  circumstances  ; but  our  cultivators  have  been  unable 
to  ascertain  any  regimen,  soil,  or  treatment,  that  will  insure 


140 


CULTURE  OF  THE  STRAWBERRY. 


a full  crop  of  berries  upon  any  staminate  variety,  in  a suc- 
cession of  years ; and  they,  therefore,  condemn  them  as  un- 
worthy of  cultivation,  except  as  impregnators,  and  for  this 
purpose  recommend  the  selection  of  those  which  are  remark- 
able for  the  size  and  flavor  of  their  fruit,  time  of  flowering, 
hardiness,  etc. 

Since  the  great  “ Strawberry  Question ” has  attracted  so 
much  attention,  very  many  persons,  anxious  to  verify  for 
themselves  the  new  doctrine,  have  tried  the  experiment  of 
planting  pistillate  kinds  separate  and  apart  from  all  others. 
These  efforts  have  been  carried  on  with  more  or  less  care  and 
precision ; but  the  results,  in  all  cases  that  have  come  within 
our  notice,  confirm  the  Committee  in  their  fifth  conclusion, 
that  no  'pistillate  plant  will  bear  a perfect  fruit,  if  kept  entirely 
apart  from  staminate  varieties  * And  they  are  perfectly  satis- 
fied that  where  any  person  thinks  he  has  met  with  a different 
result,  he  must  have  been  deceived  by  overlooking  some  male 
plants  in  the  bed,  or  near  it. 

The  Committee,  having  examined  a great  many  new  seed- 
lings, which  have  not  yet  been  tested  sufficiently,  have  ob- 
served this  fact,  that,  admitting  them  to  be  equally  divided 
in  their  sexual  character,  the  majority  of  the  staminates  will 
prove  to  be  entirely  barren. 

All  those  who  would  enter  upon  the  business,  or  try  exper- 
iments, are  advised  to  commence  by  impregnating  the  best 
and  largest  pistillates  with  the  largest  and  most  highly-flav- 
ored staminates;  keep  each  plant  and  its  runners  entirely 
separate  from  all  others ; test  them  well  before  exhibition, 
and  lastly,  if  they  be  not  decidedly  superior  to  the  kinds  already 


* They  take  pleasure  in  referring  to  Mr.  A.  H.  Ernst’s  article  upon 
the  “ Cultivation  of  the  Strawberry,”  in  No.  11  of  the  Horticulturist, 
wherein  he  mentions  some  of  our  most  intelligent  cultivators,  who  had 
brought  out  this  result  with  different  kinds  of  pistillate  plants ; and 
also  to  the  admirable  experiment  of  G.  W.  Huntsman,  of  Flushing, 
detailed  in  the  2d  No.,  p.  88,  vol.  i,  of  the  same  journal. 


EXPERIMENTS  BY  HUNTSMAN. 


141 


grown,  in  size,  flavor  and  productiveness,  or,  unless  they 
have  some  peculiarity  of  lateness  or  early  ripening,  it  will  be 
best  tu  say  nothing  about  them ; for  we  have  several  kinds 
already  that  are  worth  raising,  and  are  not  confined  to  a 
selection  of  four  sorts,  as  some  suppose,  namely,  Hovey’s 
Pistillate,  Boston  Pine,  Wood,  and  Scarlet,  the  three  latter  of 
which  are  here  condemned  as  unproductive,  being  staminates. 


A.  H.  Ernst, 
Geo.  Graham, 
S.  S.  Jackson, 
John  Lea, 

N.  Shaler, 

S.  Mosher, 

J.  A.  Warder. 


>•  Committee . 


(From  Downing’s  Horticulturist.) 

TWO  EXPERIMENTS  MADE  TO  TEST  MR.  LONGWORTH’s  STRAW- 
BERRY THEORY. 

Taking  Hovey’s  Seedling  as  a subject,  I procured  a bell- 
glass,  and  placed  it  over  an  entire  plant  which  had  not 
bloomed.  The  flowers  expanded  well  under  the  glass,  but 
did  not  produce  one  berry.  The  plant  was  frequently  agi- 
tated tc  put  the  pollen  in  motion,  if  there  was  any. 

I also  introduced  under  a glass  some  blossom  buds  before 
they  had  blown.  These,  as  they  successively  expanded, 
showed  no  signs  of  swelling.  I impregnated,  at  different 
times,  two  of  the  blossoms  by  hand,  applying  the  pollen 
from  another  plant  with  a camel’s  hair  pencil.  These  two 
set  their  fruit  perfectly.  The  pistils  of  the  other  blossoms 
soon  turned  to  a dark  color.  These  experiments  were  made 
at  the  north  side  of  a picket  fence,  where  the  plants  were 
screened  from  the  full  effects  of  the  sun,  otherwise  the  heat 
under  the  glasses  would  have  been  too  great. 

These  experiments  prove,  to  my  mind,  very  conclusively, 
that  Hovey’s  Seedling  will  not  bear  any  fruit  unless  impreg- 
nated by  some  stamir.ate  variety.  And  the  same  may  be 


142 


CULTURE  OF  THE  GRAPE. 


6aid  of  other  varieties  in  which  the  stamens  are  obsolete.  1 
have  had  some  plants  of  the  Hudson  Bay  for  three  years,  in 
a position  where  they  cannot  very  easily  be  impregnated  by 
other  kinds,  during  which  time  they  have  not  home  one 
berry,  while  other  plants  of  the  same  variety,  exposed,  have 
been  productive.  A difference  in  the  formation  of  the  flowers 
on  different  plants  is  not  confined  to  cultivated  kinds,  but 
may  be  seen  in  those  growing  wild  in  the  fields,  the  pistil- 
late plants  of  which  I have  often  examined  with  a magnifying 
glass,  to  see  if  I could  discover  any  pollen,  but  have  never 
been  able  to  find  it ; I am  forced,  therefore,  to  believe  that 
pistillate  plants,  both  wild  and  cultivated,  are  absolutely 
devoid  of  pollen,  and  cannot,  therefore,  produce  any  fruit 
except  when  impregnated  by  others. 

I am  also  convinced,  from  observation  and  theory,  that  one 
kind  will  never  change  to  the  other  by  off-sets.  The  runner 
bearing  the  same  relation  to  the  plant  producing  it  as  a tree 
grown  from  a bud  does  to  the  tree  from  which  it  was  taken. 
It  may,  then,  be  asked,  how  does  it  happen  that  there  are 
pistillate  and  staminate  plants  of  the  same  variety  ? I answer , 
it  is  not  the  fact,  unless  they  have  sprung  from  seed,  or  the 
plants  have  been  taken  from  the  fields  in  a wild  state. 

That  pistillate  plants  are  surer  and  better  bearers  than 
staminate  plants,  is,  I think,  generally  true  (provided,  of 
course,  that  they  are  impregnated).  And  it  would  seem 
reasonable  to  infer  that  when  but  one  of  the  sexual  organs  is 
complete,  the  other  will  have  more  strength.  Plants,  there- 
fore, that  are  perfect  in  both  organs,  require  a higher  state  of 
cultivation.  There  is,  however,  a wide  difference  in  the  pro- 
ductiveness of  different  kinds,  that  are  perfect  in  both  organs, 
some  being  much  more  liable  to  blast  than  others. 

G.  W.  Huntsman. 


